The Sports Xchange
Oct 23, 2017
LOS ANGELES -- Anthony Davis had 27 points and 17 rebounds, and DeMarcus Cousins finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 119-112 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night at Staples Center.
E'Twaun Moore added 19 points, and Jrue Holiday and Ian Clark contributed 14 points apiece for New Orleans (1-2).
Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points off the bench to lead the Lakers (1-2). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made his Lakers debut and started at shooting guard after he was suspended the first two games. He finished with 20 points.
Kyle Kuzma also scored 20 for Los Angeles, and Lonzo Ball had eight points, eight rebounds, 13 assists and five turnovers.
The Pelicans led by 20 points with 1:26 left in third quarter but Kuzma and Clarkson combined for all the points in a 9-0 run to get the Lakers back within 11 at the start of the fourth.
Randle then scored off an offensive rebound on the first possession of the final quarter and the Lakers were back within single digits for the first time since the final minute of the first quarter.
Clarkson's 3-pointer with 9:35 left pulled Los Angeles within four points, and Josh Hart's layup gave the Lakers their first lead at 99-98 with 7:54 remaining.
The Lakers stretched the lead to five and were still ahead 110-106 after Randle scored on a dunk with 4:16 left, but the Pelicans followed with an 11-0 run, and the Lakers couldn't get back to a one-possession game.
NOTES: New Orleans PG Jameer Nelson made his team debut with 5:35 left in the first quarter and finished with five points and five assists. Nelson agreed to terms with the Pelicans on Saturday, and the 13-year veteran drove four hours from Philadelphia to New York to catch a six-hour flight to Los Angeles. Nelson spent the past two seasons playing with the Denver Nuggets but was waived before the start of this season. He averaged 9.2 points and 5.1 assists last season. ... Lakers coach Luke Walton and Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry were assistants for Golden State when the Warriors they won the NBA title in the 2014-15 season. ... Lakers C Ivica Zubac was active for the first time this season and did not play. He is the tallest player on the Los Angeles roster at 7-foot-1.