Anthony Davis Destroys the Pelicans, Lakers Rally Back to Win, 114-112

Anthony Davis harassed the former team in his first trip to New Orleans after being trade to the LA Lakers. The Eyebrow ended the night with 41 points, 9 boards, and he was the one who decided the game in the end.

AD stole the ball with five seconds to go, interrupting an inbound pass to Brandon Ingram, with the result 112-110 for his side. He would score two free-throws following that, and seal a pretty interesting game in which he and his team made a big comeback in the final period.

“The emotions were high, I’m just happy we got the win,” he said after the match. “I have so many emotions right now. It was a great atmosphere.”

As AD said, the emotions were high ahead of this match. On one side was Davis, who came back to the place where he established himself as one of the best centers in the history of the NBA. Meanwhile, on the other side where the guys who were considered to be inadequate to be a part of the Lakers’ franchise, and labeled as huge busts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrqazQ3WegA

Davis received a pretty hostile reception at the Smoothie King Center. Since he got out for warming up, up until the end, the former No.1 draft choice of the Pelicans was constantly booed. We all remember how he left Big Easy and what happened until the moment he ended up in the purple and gold jersey.

“I’m thankful. Thankful for this guy, No. 23. Thankful for the Lakers organization, they’ve been nothing but great to me … They put me in great situations … we’re trying to do something special, and I think they put the right pieces around me and LeBron to do so.” AD explained.

LeBron James got his share of booes as well because of his role in the entire situation back then.

“It was our job by any means necessary to get this win for AD. We knew how much it meant to him coming back here. He was spectacular down the stretch..key rebound, key defensive play, key steal,” said James about his teammate.

The teams were leveled at the start of the game, up until the middle of the opening period. From that moment on, the Pelicans began pulling away, and they won the first quarter with 38-25. Jrue Holiday was leading the hosts with 12 points in the last 5:21 of the sequence.

During the second period, the guests have cut the deficit to just 4 points, but Alvin Gentry’s team successfully rebuffed that surge. The same was in the third, with the note that after Kenrich Williams’ three, with 3:19 to go until the end of the same, Pelicans had a 15-point lead, 85-70. Yet, from that moment, everything went in Lakers’ favor.

In the openingn three minutes of the final period, they’ve erased the difference between them and the hosts, making a 12-2 push to level the game at 91-all. It stayed close until the end.

With 1:22 to go, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope picked up a shooting foul on Brandon Ingram, and Frank Vogel challenged that call. The Lakers lost a timeout as the officials confirmed their call. Brandon Ingram would sink both free throws afterward to five his Pelicans a 109-108 lead.

Kyle Kuzma responded on the other end with a three-pointer to bring the advantage to the Lakers’ side. With the result 111-110, LeBron lost the ball, and JJ Redick had an open look to the basket, but missed the shot. On the other end, Davis made one free throw, before he would eventually bury all Pelicans’ hopes of winning this event.

“He performed unbelievably, it was a tough environment… He put all that stuff aside, blocked out the noise and rose to the challenge,” said Frank Vogel about AD.

RARE COMPANY!@KingJames joins the 33,000-point club with this basket 👑 pic.twitter.com/1qbcBt7AjJ

— ESPN (@espn) November 28, 2019

LeBron had 29 points, becoming the fourth player who scored 33,000 points. LBJ added 11 assists, 5 boards, and two steals. Kuzma was excellent off the bench with 16 points, and a perfect production from downtown, 4 of 4.

Among the Pelicans, Holiday had 29 points, 12 dimes, and 6 rebounds, while Ingram scored 23 with 10 rebounds, but with 2 for 11 behind the three-point line. Meanwhile, he was perfect from the foul line, 13 of 13.

JJ Redick delivered 18 buckets with 5 threes scored.

The Pelicans (6-12) now have back-to-back games with Oklahoma City Thunder this Friday on the road, and on Sunday at home.

Meanwhile, the Lakers (16-2) host the Wizards on Friday.