After starting the season 0-5, the Los Angeles Lakers had won two straight games thanks to performances from Lonnie Walker IV (28 points), LeBron James (20 points), and Anthony Davis (20 points).
Despite losing a 16-point, third-quarter lead, the Lakers came away with the win because of Davis's 16 rebounds, James' 10 rebounds, and his eight assists. For the Lakers, rookie Matt Ryan sent the game into overtime with a 3-pointer at the buzzer, as per a report from The Inquirer.
Virus Infection Slows Down LeBron James
For the Pelicans, Zion Williamson's 27 points helped them transcend the fact that he had only six points at halftime. New Orleans went 1-2 on their road trip, winning against the Clippers on Monday because of CJ McCollum's 22 points and eight assists.
With their second consecuitve win, Anthony Davis acknowledged that his Lakers teammates are "staying ready" and "playing well." LeBron James, however, had a very subpar game and explained afterward that he had been sick with a virus for the past few days, which explains why he didn't seem like himself, according to Lakers Daily.
LeBron James was noticeably lethargic during most of the home game. Instead of dribbling or passing the ball quickly and attacking the basket, he walked the ball upcourt on nearly every possession. When the Lakers blew a double-digit lead in the second quarter in front of their home fans, it was because the game was played at a speed that isn't ideal for them.
James will have around 48 hours to recover before Friday night's matchup against the Utah Jazz, who have stunned everyone by starting the season with a 6-3 record. Then, on Sunday afternoon, James's old squad, the Cleveland Cavaliers, will face off against his current team.
Matt Ryan: The Game Hero
For the first time, Matt Ryan played like a regular starter for the team. The LA Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 120-117 in a thrilling home game that went to overtime thanks in large part to "Matty Ice's" clutch three-point shooting.
As time ran out, the Pellies led Los Angeles 111-108. Despite Lonnie Walker IV's hot hand from long range, head coach Darvin Ham knew to go to his best three-point shooter, the de facto15th player Matt Ryan (he would finish 5-of-9 from deep). Ham devised a play in which Austin Reaves inbounded the ball to Ryan in the corner, and Ryan duly buried a three-pointer at the buzzer, according to Fan Nation.
Before making his Lakers debut this year, Ryan, 25, had played in exactly one NBA game, for five minutes last season with Boston. So far this season, which began on November 2nd, he has played a significant role in five games for Los Angeles.
Center Damian Jones, a recent NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, and new $5.31 million addition Kendrick Nunn both sat on the bench for the entire 53 minutes of the game. Although both players have far more NBA experience than Ryan, Ham has chosen to give the undrafted journeyman from Chattanooga more playing time than the two more celebrated teammates because of this one exceptional skill.
