NEW ORLEANS — LeBron James and Luka Doncic scored 30 points apiece as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied past the Pelicans 111-103 Tuesday night. Los Angeles flipped an 86-79 deficit with a 32-17 fourth quarter to secure its third straight win, Jan. 6, 2026.
Doncic paired his 30 with 10 assists, while LeBron James added eight rebounds and eight assists. Deandre Ayton finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds as the Lakers shot 51% from the field, according to the official NBA box score.
New Orleans had the best player on the floor for three quarters. Trey Murphy III poured in a career-high 42 points on 14-of-26 shooting, hitting six 3-pointers, but the Pelicans managed only 17 points in the fourth. Zion Williamson scored 15 despite a 1-for-5 night at the line, and rookie Derik Queen posted 10 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
The Pelicans led 54-51 at halftime and stretched the margin late in the third, when Karlo Matkovic’s free throws pushed the advantage to 83-74. LeBron James’ steal and windmill dunk helped Los Angeles steady itself before the break, then the Lakers opened the fourth on a 9-0 spurt and never trailed again, according to a Reuters recap.
LeBron James sparks the closing sprint
LeBron James set the tone early in the fourth, drilling two deep 3-pointers as the Lakers’ pressure tightened. New Orleans turned the ball over seven times in the final 12 minutes, and clean looks dried up as Los Angeles forced the Pelicans into late-clock decisions.
Doncic, quiet from deep for much of the night, delivered the finishing blows anyway — including a 31-foot 3-pointer to beat the shot clock with about two minutes left. The Pelicans got within four on Jose Alvarado’s late 3, but LeBron James answered with two reverse layups around Doncic’s dagger.
The duo’s backstory, and why it matters now
It’s still a jolt to see the pairing in the same uniform, even nearly a year after the February 2025 blockbuster trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. The Lakers leaned on that star gravity Tuesday: when the game tightened, the ball found Doncic and LeBron James, and the defense followed.
And the late-game force from LeBron James is part of a longer arc. He has been writing new chapters on the scoring record for years — including becoming the NBA’s first player to reach 40,000 career points, as detailed in an earlier AP report — and nights like this show how the miles haven’t dulled his closing gear.
The win moved Los Angeles to 23-11, while New Orleans fell to 8-30 and dropped its eighth straight, per the ESPN box score.
