The Lakers took the floor against the Pelicans without LeBron James and Marcus Smart and still came away with a 133-121 victory. For the second straight game, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic both poured in over 30 points, proving that L.A. doesn’t need to be at full strength to dominate. As for the Pelicans, their struggles continue, sitting last in the Western Conference at 3-18, but the win didn’t come easy, with the fourth quarter delivering its usual share of drama before the Lakers finally pulled away.

With just 7:25 left in the fourth quarter, the Lakers suddenly saw Deandre Ayton call for a timeout and limp straight to the bench, clutching his right knee. Up until that moment, he had been huge in the Lakers’ 133-121 win over the Pelicans, dropping 22 points on 7-of-9 shooting, going 8-for-8 at the line, grabbing 12 rebounds, swatting four shots, and playing 27 minutes of rock-solid basketball.

Then the same knee that’s been bugging him all week flared up again, cutting his night short.

This wasn’t a new problem. Ayton had already missed time with that right-knee issue, sitting out the Lakers’ matchup against the Clippers last week. He returned for Friday’s game against the Mavericks and looked sharp with 17 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and two blocks, giving the Lakers hope that the scare had passed.

Even earlier that day, speaking to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Ayton admitted how rough the initial injury felt: “It was kinda scary the way it felt… it felt like my knee broke… really, stuff I could play through.” And despite the pain, he doubled down: “It’s not really something that’s stopping me from playing, it hurts, but it’s something I can play through.”

Sunday night, though, the knee took another hit, literally. Ayton got kneed in the right kneecap by Pelicans rookie Derick Queen, triggering the discomfort again. He immediately asked out and was seen limping toward the bench.

The good news?

His MRI from earlier in the week came back clean, but with the Lakers on the second night of a back-to-back against the Suns, his availability is suddenly in question again.

JJ Redick wasn’t able to offer any medical clarity after the win, but he did praise Ayton’s performance and growing fit within the team. Inside the locker room, Redick said the big man was in “terrific spirits,” and he couldn’t help but rave about Ayton’s feel and skill:

“He’s always been able to produce. I think for him, his execution of what we are trying to do on both ends has been really high, and he’s clearly developed a really good feel for playing with AR and Luka… I am really impressed just with his touch… It’s another weapon we have.”

For now, the Lakers can only hope their newest weapon is healthy enough to suit up against Phoenix, especially with momentum on their side and Ayton facing his former team next.

No LeBron, no problem, L.A. runs past the Pelicans again

The Lakers didn’t waste a second on Sunday night. Even without LeBron or Marcus Smart, they came out swinging, dropping a 46-point first quarter, their biggest opening frame of the season. Luka Doncic lit the place up early with 20 of his 34 points in the first 12 minutes, while Austin Reaves matched the energy with his own shot-making.

By halftime, L.A. had already stacked 77 points and built a comfy 20-point cushion, leaving a tired Pelicans squad (playing a back-to-back and missing Zion) scrambling to keep up.

The third quarter brought chaos. New Orleans suddenly remembered how to shoot, ripping through the Lakers’ lead with a 62% hot streak and trimming the gap to 11. Saddiq Bey and Bryce McGowens kept punching, and rookie Derik Queen gave them whatever scoring life they had.

But every time the Pelicans got close, Luka calmed things down, first with a jumper, then a four-point play that sucked the air right out of the comeback attempt.

By the fourth, the Lakers had settled back into control. Reaves hit another burst to finish with 33 points, Ayton dominated the paint with 22 and 12 plus four blocks, and L.A. rebuilt the lead back to 20+ before cruising home.

When the buzzer sounded, it was 133-121, the Lakers’ seventh straight win, powered by Luka’s all-around brilliance (34-12-7) and a team that looked locked in from the opening tip.