Luka and LeBron go 30-30 as Lakers defeat the Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS — LeBron James and Luka Doncic left fans at the Smoothie King Center impressed with their performances on Tuesday night.

The two led a stifling Lakers defense in the fourth quarter and an efficient offense.

James had a near triple-double of 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists and Doncic had 30 points and 10 assists, both leading the Lakers to a 111-103 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

“I love what’s going on right now between Luka and LeBron and that partnership, whether it’s pick-and-rolls with each other,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

As he talked about James and Doncic and the dynamic between those two, Redick beamed at his two stars.

“There’s a real synergy going on right now and it’s fun to watch,” Redick said.

It was the second time in the last three games that James and Doncic scored at least 30 points in a game. James had 31 against Memphis last Friday night and Doncic had 34.

Now, here James and Doncic combined for 60 points on 21-for-41 shooting.

“It’s going to start with me and Luka, for sure, every time we hit the floor,” James said. “He’s got the ball in his hands. I’m going to have the ball in my hands. We’ve got to make sure we put our guys in position offensively and then defensively. My voice has always been to make sure I command with my voice and everyone knows what’s going on on the field.”

As James spoke, he dismissed the theory that Doncic had to bend his game to James’ or any of his teammates.

James simply noted that the Lakers (23-11) are Doncic’s team and that others will follow his lead, including James.

“Luka doesn’t need to bend his game. Luka is our (26-year-old) franchise for this ball club,” James said. “He doesn’t need to bend this game. It’s up to us to bend our game around him and understand him. We’re just trying to be dynamic to work on him. We know he’s an incredible pick-and-roll player, an incredible shooter. He commands the defense. He had four eyes, sometimes six eyes on him. So it’s us… It’s up to us to put ourselves in the right position. So, it’s not a problem for me, it’s not a problem. for me. To be able to do things that… I don’t know… I just don’t think people watch basketball.

So when Doncic threw a two-handed lob pass from beyond the three-point line to a high-flying James on the baseline in the second quarter, it was another example of how Doncic controls the game and how James fits in.

The Lakers opened the fourth quarter with intensity on defense.

They turned a deficit late in the third into a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter by opening the quarter with an 18-4 run to take a 97-90 lead.

However, the Lakers had to play hard until the end to conclude the victory.

When Doncic lost control of the basketball late, it looked like it would be a 24-second shot clock violation as he fumbled.

Instead, he got the ball with James and two Pelican defenders all nearby and shot a wild floating three-pointer for a 105-96 Lakers lead with a minute, 59 seconds left.

Doncic looked at the Pelicans bench after the ball entered the net and roared.

The Pelicans called a timeout, which resulted in James bumping Doncic in the back, putting his head into Doncic’s chest and then slapping him across the head, both of them smiling at the magical moment.

“I told him (James), he made a great screen. If you don’t set that screen, I probably wasn’t that open,” Doncic said, joking and smiling. “But it was a great moment. He started the fourth quarter with two threes and then an assist. So he got us back in the game. We appreciate that.”

The defense the Lakers played in the fourth period was terrific.

They limited the Pelicans to 17 points and 33.3% shooting. The Lakers took three charges in the fourth, a career first by Dalton Knecht and one by Doncic.

Now the Lakers turn their attention to a back-to-back Wednesday night in San Antonio and the question asked of James was about his play.

James, 41, said it was “to be determined.”

“You guys know that,” James said. “I’m 41, of course, that’s still the case… Every streak for the rest of the season is TBD. I’m 41. I’ve had the most minutes in NBA history. Bank it now. What are we talking about? What are we talking about?”

Doncic had 16 points and six assists in the first half and James had 15 points and six rebounds.

But starting forward Jake LaRavia didn’t score in his 18 minutes of play in the first half.

The Lakers then went down by nine points in the third quarter, meaning they had to play catch-up the rest of the way.

The Lakers play a back-to-back Wednesday night in San Antonio, leading Redick to wonder if James, 41, would play against the Spurs.

“We don’t have any plans for any of our players,” Redick said. “We’ll see what happens tonight.”

Etc.

Lakers guard Gabe Vincent is on a two-game road trip, but he was demoted for the game against the Pelicans because of lower back soreness. Vincent has missed the last nine games, but hopefully he will be available Wednesday against San Antonio. “We just downgraded Gabe,” Redick said. “He hasn’t had any setbacks, but we hope he can play tomorrow. But again, it all depends on how he feels tomorrow.”