Brian Windhorst: ‘LeBron James wants the Lakers to have their foot on the gas’

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Jason Calmes @BourbonStShots
Think Pels are really jelling right now: last night’s win was fun and the energy/ball movement were largely very good. As added context, though, this LAL team is having a really rough go. LeBron’s plus-minus last night was T-23rd worst of 1353 regular season games (see chart) -MP pic.twitter.com/cDe5CgQI8g – 8:04 AM Kyle Goon @kylegoon
LeBron James on the game: “Tonight, from the six minute point of the second quarter to the third, no answer.” – 12:59 AM Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Final: Pelicans 123, Lakers 95
The Lakers drop to 27-33, starting their post-ASB stretch 0-2. They were outscored 82-58 over the final 26 minutes of the game. LeBron James finished with 32 points. The game ended in a chorus of boos.
Up next: vs. Dallas on Tuesday. – 12:28 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Pretend this was legal. Who says no:
The Lakers agree to bench LeBron and AD for the rest of the year. The Pelicans waive their 2023 swap rights and their right to defer the 2024 pick the Lakers owe them to 2025.
Pels would basically guarantee themselves a top-10 pick this year – 12:22 AM Brandon Rahbar @BrandonRahbar
LeBron, there’s a team that has never booed their home team, you are a big fan of their GM and they have 7 draft picks in Bronny’s draft class. 🤷 – 12:16 AM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
Ingram is just GIVING it to the Lakers. Goodness. No spirit or fight out there from the home team.
Gotta factor in the injuries but man … it is astonishing to see a LeBron James team this punchless.
He’s never had less help and never needed more. – 11:56 PM Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Third quarter: Pelicans 95, Lakers 65
The third quarter was a calamity of errors — turnovers, missed layups, boos. LA’s body language and effort said it all. In a disappointing season full of lows, this is a new low point. LA is up to 21 turnovers — LeBron & Russ each have 7. – 11:55 PM Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
CJ McCollum pull-up 3-pointer makes it a 72-53 lead for the Pelicans … and then LeBron James whips a cross court bounce pass to someone sitting courtside. – 11:37 PM Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Boo birds here in the arena as LeBron turns it over on an attempted cross court bounce pass, and the Lakers fall behind by 22 points in the third quarter. – 11:36 PM Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Halftime: Pelicans 51, Lakers 40
Awful end to the half for LA, who was outscored 10-3 over the final 2:31 to turn a 4-point deficit into an 11-point deficit. LeBron James has 13 points. No other Laker is in double figures. LA has 16 turnovers to just 8 assists. – 11:08 PM Will Guillory @WillGuillory
End of the 1st half: Pelicans 51, Lakers 40
Ingram 11 pts
McCollum 7 pts (3-9 FG)
Valanciunas 6 pts & 6 rebs
One of the ugliest halves basketball I’ve seen all year. Lakers turned the ball over 16 times. The Pels shot 4-14 on 3s, 5-10 on FTs. LeBron and Russ have been rough. – 11:07 PM Bill Oram @billoram
Ugly Russ turnover leads to a Herb Jones breakaway and the Pelicans go up 14 before LeBron bank in a 3 to send Lakers into halftime trailing 51-40. – 11:05 PM Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Four turnovers apiece for LeBron and Westbrook now, as LAL’s total climbs to 13.
LAL got within 1 before the most recent 2 TO’s sparked a 6-0 NOP run to put them up 40-33. – 10:56 PM Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
For instance, did you guys catch Carmelo Anthony lazily double CJ McCollum without any regard for Jonas Valanciunas (Melo’s man) who walked into the lane totally unabated and scored the lay-in over LeBron? – 10:45 PM Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
This Lakers defense is hysterically bad with LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in the front court. Wow. – 10:44 PM Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
First quarter: Pelicans 24, Lakers 20
The Lakers had nine turnovers in the first quarter — seven of which came from their starters (three from Dwight Howard). This new starting unit’s offense continues to be subpar. Russell Westbrook has 8 points. LeBron James has 6. – 10:39 PM Mike Trudell @LakersReporter
Lakers trail 24-20 after 1.
Last game, they were 0 for 10 from 3 in the 1st Q against the Clippers, and started 0 for 5 tonight until THT hit one in the final minute.
Big issue was turnovers, with Dwight Howard committing 3,
and LeBron, Westbrook and Monk 2 each. – 10:37 PM Sean Grande @SeanGrandePBP
Jayson Tatum’s final game as a 23-year old is Tuesday. Tonight he passed Anthony Davis into what will be his final spot, 12th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list for players 23 and under.
Trailing only LeBron, KD, Melo, T-Mac, Kobe, Booker, Shaq, KAT, Dwight, Wiggins and Giannis – 10:27 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
LeBron James trying to attack the basket early. I suspect the Pelicans will start throwing defending LeBron withs some of their bigger players – 10:16 PM Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Herbert Jones opens defensively against LeBron. CJ McCollum matched up with Westbrook, a player he’s very familiar with from playing in same division and meeting in West playoffs – 10:13 PM Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
Lakers rolling with the same starters against the Pelicans tonight:
Dwight Howard
LeBron James
Trevor Ariza
Austin Reaves
Russell Westbrook – 9:30 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said LeBron James will play tonight vs Pelicans. Lakers had listed LeBron earlier as questionable – 8:24 PM Kyle Goon @kylegoon
Though LeBron James was officially listed as “questionable” in the earlier game notes, Frank Vogel confirms he’s in. Avery Bradley remains out today against the Pelicans. – 8:24 PM