Imago
Oct 31, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) handles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies forward Vince Williams Jr. (5) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Imago
Oct 31, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) handles the ball as Memphis Grizzlies forward Vince Williams Jr. (5) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
After getting humbled by the reigning champs, the Lakers head into the second game of the NBA Cup West Group B contest. The last-seeded Pelicans hosted Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for what might be an uneven matchup. New Orleans is still sorely missing Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole, while the Lakers have star power and a burning need for redemption after a blowout loss to OKC. That meant the Pelicans had to fall 104-118 and drop to 2-10 to restore the Lakers’ glory.
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Los Angeles Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans player stats
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Los Angeles Lakers
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- |
| STARTERS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Rui Hachimura#28 | 35 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 |
| Deandre Ayton#5 | 36 | 20 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 35 |
| Marcus Smart#36 | 34 | 13 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Luka Doncic#77 | 40 | 24 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 30 |
| Austin Reaves#15 | 39 | 31 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 16 |
| BENCH | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Jarred Vanderbilt#2 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -19 |
| Jake LaRavia#12 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Dalton Knecht#4 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -12 |
| Jaxson Hayes#11 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -21 |
| Maxi Kleber#14 | DNP | ||||||||
| Adou Thiero#1 | DNP | ||||||||
| Bronny James#9 | DNP | ||||||||
| TEAM TOTAL | 118 | 51 | 28 | 13 | 5 | 17 | 17 |
New Orleans Pelicans
| PLAYER | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | +/- |
| STARTERS | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kevon Looney#55 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7 |
| Herbert Jones#2 | 34 | 13 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -15 |
| Trey Murphy III#25 | 39 | 35 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | -25 |
| Saddiq Bey#41 | 37 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -14 |
| Jeremiah Fears#0 | 29 | 19 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -24 |
| BENCH | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Karlo Matkovic#17 | 13 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| Derik Queen#22 | 29 | 9 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | -2 |
| Yves Missi#21 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -8 |
| Jose Alvarado#15 | 21 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| Micah Peavy#14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -4 |
| Jordan Hawkins#24 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| DeAndre Jordan#9 | DNP | ||||||||
| Bryce McGowens#11 | DNP | ||||||||
| TEAM TOTAL | 104 | 42 | 24 | 12 | 3 | 20 | 23 |
Lakers vs Pelicans: Game summary and key moments
The Lakers had a chip on their shoulder going into another NBA Cup game for the West Group B. Not only did they get walloped by OKC on Wednesday, they also had too many season lows – dropping 1-2 on the road, losing their winning streak, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves’ combined season-low scores, a season-low 40.3% from the floor for the entire team, and a costly 20 turnovers. Too bad for the New Orleans Pelicans that they had to face a team out for redemption.
From the opening tip, the Lakers dictated terms with surgical precision. Their revamped starting five- Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic, Rui Hachimura, Marcus Smart, and DeAndre Ayton- wasted no time, surging to an early 10-point lead by the end of the first quarter. New Orleans, plagued by injuries and inconsistency, leaned on Trey Murphy III’s hot hand as he led them with 21 points in the first half.
And rookie Jeremiah Fears flashed promise, but it felt like chasing a freight train. The Pelicans clawed within striking distance midway through the second, but LA’s response was a 15-11 quarter-closing spurt, ballooning the halftime edge to 13 points. It was the kind of momentum shift that whispers, “This one’s ours.”
It was a big night for the Lakers’ starters. Austin Reaves was back in form with a spectacular 31 points. Luka Doncic had a respectable 24 points. Deandre Ayton contributed 20 points and a glowing 16 rebounds.
The Pelicans’ only saving grace was Trey Murphy III. He scored the game-high 35 points tonight, which didn’t manage to close the double-digit gap. However, the Pelicans still managed to make it a close game. The first half was messy with turnovers on both sides.
The second half was an offensive spectacle by both teams. The Lakers improved to 58% from the field, and the Pelicans were at 51%. LA had to amp it up for the final quarter when the Pelicans managed to come within 10 points. AR and Luka got back in the game, and Reaves carried the team the rest of the way.
The Lakers are now 2-0 in the NBA Cup group play. They’re going to have to keep this momentum when they play against the Bucks tomorrow. The Pelicans get to rest and recalibrate before meeting the Warriors on Sunday.
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