Lakers Dominate Pelicans 118-104 in NBA Cup Thriller; Austin Reaves Leads with 31 Points
NEW ORLEANS — The Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 118-104 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in an NBA Cup matchup on Friday night, powered by Austin Reaves’ 31 points and Luka Doncic’s 24 points with 12 assists.
Deandre Ayton was unstoppable for the Lakers, hitting 10 of 11 shots to finish with 20 points, 16 rebounds, two steals, and a block. The win improves Los Angeles’ record to 2-0 in the in-season tournament, keeping them atop West Group B.
Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 35 points, but New Orleans extended their losing streak to four games. The team fell to 0-2 in cup play and hold a Western Conference-worst 2-10 overall record.
Rui Hachimura added 14 points and Marcus Smart contributed 13 for the Lakers. Los Angeles took control early, leading 65-52 at halftime, highlighted by a spectacular alley-oop from Doncic to Ayton.
The Lakers opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run, with Reaves, Ayton, and Doncic all scoring, stretching their lead to 88-66. Reaves capped the surge with a 16-foot floater while drawing a foul from Jose Alvarado.
The Pelicans briefly narrowed the gap to eight points when Alvarado and Saddiq Bey hit back-to-back three-pointers, making it 96-88 with just over eight minutes remaining. However, clutch plays from Doncic and Reaves, including five late free throws and a 13-foot pull-up jumper, sealed the win for Los Angeles.
Murphy continues to shine for New Orleans, surpassing 34 points for the second time in four games. Jeremiah Fears scored 19 points with eight steals, Herb Jones added 13, Bey 11, and Derik Queen grabbed 10 rebounds.
Both teams were without their biggest stars. LeBron James is still recovering from a preseason bout with sciatica, while Zion Williamson remains sidelined due to a left hamstring strain.
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