Sloppy Control, Star Power Finish in Lakers Win Over Pels

The Lakers opened the game exactly how you’d hope, with two straight dunks that made it feel like they were ready to impose their will. That feeling disappeared almost immediately. Five straight misses followed, and while the Lakers looked like the better team early, mental lapses kept the Pelicans right there—same story, different night.

LEBRON JAMES THROWS IT DOWN TO START THE GAME 😈 pic.twitter.com/B86r41aOHv

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 7, 2026

Luka Dončić’s first quarter was a roller coaster. There were no normal possessions. Every touch was either something that made you shake your head in disbelief or something that made you yell at the screen.

Dalton Knecht summed up the frustration with him perfectly. He buried a three, then on the very next possession smoked a wide-open layup on a three-on-one break. Momentum killer. Again. Somehow, the Lakers still escaped the quarter up 29–25.

A Confusing First Half

The effort level was strange. It looked like the Lakers were trying, but the decisions didn’t match the intent. Sloppy reads, lazy cuts, and one familiar issue: Deandre Ayton drifting in and out of engagement. Once every few plays, the motor just wasn’t there, which is exactly why Jaxson Hayes ended up closing the half.

LeBron James and Luka Dončić carried everything offensively, combining for 31 of the Lakers’ 51 first-half points. Jake LaRavia took just one shot, which simply isn’t aggressive enough given how much attention the stars were drawing.

Defensively, the Lakers weren’t terrible, but they couldn’t turn stops into points. They went into halftime down 54–51, and it felt entirely self-inflicted.

Murphy Activates Takeover and More Mental Lapses

The Lakers came out flat again, falling behind by seven early in the third. New Orleans then blew a three-on-one break that would’ve pushed the lead to nine, and Luka immediately answered with his first three of the night. That shot sparked a quick run and briefly flipped the game back in L.A.’s favor.

Then Trey Murphy happened.

After a timeout, Murphy caught fire in a way that felt unstoppable. Jumpers, drives, rhythm shots, confidence shots. Worse than the makes were the mistakes around them. The Lakers allowed three back-cut lobs in a three-minute span, the kind of breakdowns that feel almost insulting at this level.

Murphy poured in 20 points in the third quarter alone and finished with 42 for the game. It was pure domination, and it dragged the Pelicans to an 86–79 lead heading into the fourth.

Clutch Time Still Belongs to the Lakers

The fourth quarter turned when LeBron James decided enough was enough. He was directly responsible for 13 straight Lakers points during one stretch, flipping the game back on sheer force of will.

The Lakers hovered around a slim three-point lead until about five minutes left, and once it officially became clutch time, the result felt inevitable. This is still the best clutch team in the league.

Two end-of-shot-clock circus threes from Luka. Strong, downhill drives from LeBron. No panic. No hesitation. Just execution.

LUKA DONCIC JUST HIT AN IMPOSSIBLE SHOT THEN TALKED TRASH TO A PELICANS FAN COURTSIDE 🤣 pic.twitter.com/a0huC7vJ7m

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 7, 2026

Lakers outscore the Pelicans 32–17 in the 4th quarter.

Final score: Lakers 111, Pelicans 103.

Little Things That Mattered

The Lakers were noticeably better on the glass in the second half, a quiet but important shift. LaRavia didn’t give much offensively, but he made up for it late with hustle, positioning, and effort plays that don’t show up in box scores.

Jarred Vanderbilt’s energy continues to be refreshing every time he checks in. He changes possessions just by being active, and he remains one of the most underappreciated players on this roster.

Dalton Knecht, on the other hand, should not be in the rotation right now. The mistakes outweigh the makes, and the margin is too thin for that.

Luka finished with a relatively quiet 30 and 10, outside of the late daggers. Ayton rebounded from a poor first half to post 18 points and 11 rebounds, finally looking engaged when it mattered.

A Body Shot to Father Time

This was one of those LeBron James games that makes you question his humanity.

30 points. 8 rebounds. 8 assists. A windmill dunk. Two alley-oops where his head was legitimately at the rim. At 41 years old. On the road. In a game, the Lakers desperately needed to stabilize.

LEBRON TURNED BACK THE CLOCK TONIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS 👑 pic.twitter.com/9rqNZMIyIH

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) January 7, 2026

When the Pelicans had all the momentum, LeBron slowed the game down. When the Lakers needed a bucket, he put his shoulder into defenders and got to his spots. When the moment called for something louder, something emphatic, he gave you the dunks. The kind that makes the opposing crowd go quiet, and the bench jumps up all at once.

This wasn’t nostalgia basketball. This wasn’t surviving. This was dominance when it mattered. LeBron didn’t just close the game; he controlled it. He read every coverage, picked his moments, and reminded everyone that the clock doesn’t dictate terms as easily as people think.

Father Time keeps knocking. Nights like this are LeBron answering the door and sending him back down the hallway.