Pelicans (7-12), Lakers (9-10)
When the Lakers and Pelicans met Nov. 12 in the Smoothie King Center, Jrue Holiday wasn’t yet in uniform for New Orleans, still days away from making his season debut. On Tuesday, Holiday made his first start of 2016-17. The difference in the two games was drastic.
After Los Angeles rolled to a 27-point victory earlier this month, New Orleans pounded the visiting Lakers this time, building a 28-point edge in the third quarter and getting some payback for the dispiriting head-to-head defeat. The Pelicans continued their recent excellence at home, winning for the fifth consecutive time in Smoothie King Center (the previous victories came against Boston, Portland, Charlotte, Minnesota). Since starting 0-8 and going 2-10 without Holiday, New Orleans is now 5-2 with the one-time All-Star back in the fold.
“He got us off to a good start,” Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry said of Holiday starting. “I just thought that having him out there, it’s just a calming effect and obviously having him out there with (Anthony Davis) and that combination is really good for us.”
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Relatively new Pelicans guard Anthony Brown grabbed an errant Lakers pass in the backcourt and dribbled all the way to the other end for a breakaway slam. A former Laker, Brown’s dunk gave New Orleans an 89-63 lead to close out the third quarter. Los Angeles had cut its huge deficit to 17 at one stage, but New Orleans quickly rebuilt a commanding edge.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Anthony Davis was his usual dominant self, registering 40-plus points for the fourth time this season and establishing himself as the best player on the floor from right around the opening tip-off. The three-time All-Star racked up 13 points in the first quarter to set the tone for a 32-19 lead on the scoreboard, then dropped in 15 more in the third, part of his 41-point night. Davis previously notched games of 50, 45 and 45 points. Along with his huge offensive performance, the 23-year-old had 16 rebounds, two blocks and four steals.
“If he’s getting talked about as MVP, it’s well deserved,” said former Kentucky college teammate Terrence Jones (six points, eight rebounds). “Because it’s hard to stop that man right now. He’s proving it every night. It’s just amazing and fun to watch.”
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
Omer Asik doesn’t get to touch the ball often offensively for New Orleans, but in the opening minutes Tuesday, the Pelicans dished to him frequently, resulting in a pair of dunks and a layup. The 7-footer from Turkey approached a double-double by intermission and finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in his 26 minutes of playing time.
QUOTES TO NOTE
“They put it on us last game. It woke us up, especially in the first half (tonight).” – Pelicans reserve guard Langston Galloway (eight points) on the impact of the recent Lakers win at New Orleans
“I think we started off strong and tried to attack (the Lakers) early. We saw that they weren’t coming out with the same fire. From there, we just put it on them. A little lax in the second half, but thankfully (we had) a cushion.” – Holiday on going up big in the opening half vs. Los Angeles
“We started the game the right way and I thought we played with energy. We had the ball movement that we needed in the first half.” – Gentry on his team’s fast start, up 65-41 at intermission
BY THE NUMBERS
13-9: New Orleans edge in offensive rebounding, an area that hasn’t been a strength for the Pelicans often early in 2016-17.
21/25: Pelicans accuracy from the foul line. The Lakers were a dreadful 9/18, including just 0/2 from their starters.
9: Pelicans turnovers, an excellent number that led to just nine Los Angeles points.