Basketball: Pelicans down Lakers as LeBron James moves 36 points from scoring record

LOS ANGELES – The New Orleans Pelicans snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 131-126 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, even as Lakers superstar LeBron James crept closer to the National Basketball Association all-time scoring record.

Brandon Ingram shook off a scoreless first quarter to lead the Pelicans with 35 points.

C. J. McCollum added 23 and Trey Murphy had 21 as New Orleans turned the tide against a Lakers team who scored 72 points in the first half and led by 12 midway through the third quarter.

Said Pelicans coach Willie Green: “We just continued to attack across the board.

“Every guy on our team that touched the floor came in and played with force and played with confidence. That is what is going to take for us to get over the hump.”

James scored 27 points and now needs 36 to overtake Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387.

He is averaging more than 30 points a game this season, and could well reach the summit this week when the Lakers host Oklahoma City on Tuesday and the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.

But, even with history beckoning, the Lakers remain in dire need of victories and missed a chance to gain on the Pelicans as they both chase a spot in the play-in tournament.

“We’ve got to win these games,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham. “We had full control of the game.”

Lakers star Anthony Davis scored 34 points against his former team and the Pelicans trailed by eight late in the third quarter when McCollum drove for a basket.

New Orleans stole an inbound pass and Jose Alvarado made a three-pointer to pull the Pelicans within three heading into the fourth.

Midway through the fourth, Murphy connected on back-to-back three-pointers as New Orleans took a six-point lead on the way to their first win since Jan 13.

“It’s tough,” Ham said. “Their push was basically all energy. That one (third) quarter gave them life.”

James, meanwhile, admitted that his own energy levels are flagging.

The 38-year-old was quoted by ESPN as saying: “It’s catching up right now. I’m tired as hell. But I’ll be ready to go on Tuesday.”

But he could soon have added help should the Lakers be able to reunite him with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving, with whom he won the championship in 2016.

Multiple media outlets reported on Friday that Irving had requested a trade from Brooklyn and wanted to be traded before the deadline.

He did not give a list of preferred destinations, but the Lakers have been considered among the top teams to acquire Irving due to mutual interest between both parties.

The Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks are among the teams who have been in touch with the Brooklyn Nets since Friday, according to ESPN.

Asked about the prospect of a reunion with Irving, James said: “That’s a Rob (Pelinka) question.

“You got to see him when y’all get back to L.A. I’ve told y’all a couple weeks, I don’t speak for our front office. My mindset is whatever line-up or whatever group that we have is to make sure we prepare ourselves the best way we can to go out and win.

“Obviously, that’s a, what’s the word you use, ‘duh’ question when you talk about a player like that.”

The Lakers’ vice-president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka had said in January: “If there’s an opportunity to get all the way to the end and win a championship, there’s no resource we’ll hold on to if we feel like that’s there.”

Irving was sidelined by “right calf soreness” a day after saying he wanted out by Thursday’s trade deadline as the Nets rallied from a 23-point deficit to beat the Washington Wizards 125-123.

Should Irving join the Lakers, it will likely be Russell Westbrook who will be traded away, with the 2017 Most Valuable Player failing to live up to expectations since arriving in Los Angeles in 2021.

Asked about the trade rumours, he said: “That’s not up to me. Like I said, I’ve known this was a business since I was 18, 19 years old, since I got into it.

“My dad taught me that at that age, getting to this league is a business, and people make whatever decision they make. And I’ll make sure I’m ready and professional, like I always have been and always will be.”

In New York, the Los Angeles Clippers squandered a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter but Nicolas Batum hit a late three-pointer to force overtime and the Clippers pulled away at the free-throw line to earn a 134-128 win over the Knicks.

In Detroit, Deandre Ayton powered his way to 31 points and 16 rebounds and the visiting Phoenix Suns never trailed while defeating the Pistons 116-100.

AFP, REUTERS