NEW ORLEANS — It was fortunate for the Lakers that they did so much of their work early on Tuesday night. A 40-point lead was feeling frightfully frail toward the end.
But an early burst of record-breaking shooting and 35 points and 17 rebounds from Anthony Davis was enough to pull out a 123-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, a critical win for the Lakers’ postseason hopes, at Smoothie King Center.
Davis was central, going 11 for 18 from the field, but the early going was defined by the Lakers’ 15-for-27 3-point performance in the first half. At the break, they led by 35, providing plenty of cushion to lean on when the Pelicans finally made a push.
