Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was disappointed after their 129-109 loss against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night. LeBron James scored 34 points and Anthony Davis added 20 points and 10 rebounds but the duo didn’t get more support from other players as they failed to come up with a collective show.
The Lakers trailed by as many as 17 points after the first half and it was always going to be an arduous task for them to bounce back from that situation. The Lakers have managed only two wins in their last nine games and they quickly need to turn the tables.
James admitted the hectic schedule and travel made it difficult for them to give their best.
“We have to figure it out and get better, for sure,” James said. “We’re not one team that likes to play from behind. We’ve been in that position a lot this year.
“The flight last night did not help, obviously,” added James, who played through flu-like symptoms on Saturday and Sunday. “We didn’t get to the hotel last until 3:45 (a.m.). So, it was a rough day trying to recalibrate and get ready for the game. But I’m happy I was able to go out and just try to make some plays happen for my team.”
On the other hand, the Pelicans had suffered a huge loss of 133-89 in the semifinal of the In-season tournament against the Lakers but they bounced back in style. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram each scored 26 points for the Pelicans and the former reckons that loss helped the players in uniting with each other.
“It definitely brought us together more as a team,” Williamson said. “I feel like we’ve been playing great since then. We’ve still got some things to figure out, but so does every other team.”
The Pelicans’ head coach Willie Green gave credit to his players for getting the job done after a dud performance against the Lakers in the In-season tournament.
“The way we lost the game, you want to redeem yourself,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We talked about it the last couple days and watched some film on it — as hard as it was.”
The Lakers will next take on the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
