Los Angeles Lakers (37-24) beat New Orleans Pelicans (19-44) 110-101 at home on Tuesday, March 3. The Pelicans led after three quarters, but the Lakers took control in the fourth.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Pelicans had the better start, winning the first 33-31 to lead by 2 after one. The Lakers moved in front with a 23-18 second quarter, carrying a 3-point lead into halftime.
The Pelicans won the third 27-22 to turn the game around, taking a 2-point lead into the fourth. The Lakers took the fourth 34-23; the Lakers completed the comeback for a 110-101 regulation win.
What decided it
The Lakers got more from their shots, finishing at 53.6% effective field-goal shooting compared with 46.7% for the Pelicans. The Lakers made 25.3 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 18.9 for the Pelicans. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Pelicans did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 16.9 against 20.1. The Lakers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 105 possessions per team, the Lakers produced 104.4 points per 100 possessions to 95.8 for the Pelicans.
Who made the difference
LeBron James was the game's biggest individual force for LAL: 21 pts, 7 reb, 7 ast on 8-12 shooting. His Game Score of 17.2 led everyone. His team was +3 with him on the floor.
Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 21 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast on 7-15 shooting, good for a 15.9 Game Score.
Luka Doncic (27 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Lakers about a 79% chance.
Across the last 6 meetings in our records, Los Angeles Lakers lead 6-0.
The Lakers are now 37-24, and the Pelicans are 19-44. The Lakers last five before this game: L-L-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.