The Lakers suffered their second loss in a row by getting crushed by the Pelicans (95-123). Third quarter was crucial as New Orleans won it by 19 points, building a 30-point lead before the final period.
According to Lakers head coach Frank Vogel, his team did not play well in the game on either end of the floor. “Well, we didn’t play well,” Vogel said postgame.
“We didn’t shoot the ball well from the perimeter and the paint’s clogged, we’re trying to force inside with the pass with the bounce and it’s leading to a lot of turnovers and we’re not moving that well defensively. So we weren’t on either end tonight.”
Vogel then commented on the third quarter. “Credit to Pelicans, they came out and really shot the ball well and executed well,” he said. “We got a few really good looks early in the third. Bron had a couple buckets and we had three wide open threes that we didn’t knock down.
“Those are live ball run outs and that puts you in a deficit. Those shots go in, maybe it’s a different story in that third quarter we finally get some traction, some momentum. But the start wasn’t strong and like I said credit to Pelicans for the rest of the quarter.”
Los Angeles (27-33) remained in ninth place in the Western Conference but the gap between them and the sixth-placed Nuggets (36-25) has increased further. A few more losses could easily push the Lakers outside the play-in zone.
