The Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 118-104 with strong performances from Luka Doncic, Andre Ayton, and Austin Reaves.

Doncic recorded a double-double with 24 points and 12 assists, adding seven rebounds in forty minutes on the court Austin Reaves led the Lakers in scoring with 31 points, while Deandre Ayton added 20 points and 16 rebounds. This is the Lakers' second NBA Cup victory, helping them bounce back from their painful loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder this week. With this win, the Lakers improved to nine wins and four losses under JJ Redick. LeBron James is close to returning to the Lakers. Los Angeles dominated for most of the game, trailing only once, 10-11, in the first quarter. They built a 15-point lead in the opening quarter and had a maximum margin of 22 points. They shot 51% from the field to bounce back after a tough night in Oklahoma City, where they had their worst numbers of the season, failing to surpass a modest 40.3%. Although only just, the Lakers reduced their turnovers, committing 17 against the Pelicans after being overwhelmed by the Thunder's ferocious defense, which forced 20 turnovers. King James, who will turn 41 in December, has already returned to practicing with the Lakers' G League team and is expected to make his debut this season when the purple and gold return to California after this road trip. When he makes his debut, James will become the first player in NBA history to play 23 seasons in the American basketball league. The Pelicans, for their part, suffered their ninth defeat of the season in eleven games and remain winless in the NBA. Cup.