Seven times.
Since the Lakers listlessly began their post-All-Star break stretch with a disappointing loss against Charlotte, they’ve played seven times.
Seven times in 13 days.
They won in Portland, they dominated in Denver. They beat the Mavericks, they bested the Timberwolves and took care of the Clippers twice. And Tuesday, on a night where some kind of letup felt like a possibility if not an all-out likelihood, they dominated New Orleans 136-115 after the Pelicans won four of their previous five.
It’s the Lakers longest winning streak of the season.
Energy and complacency were never issues for them Tuesday, not with Luka Doncic skipping after made threes and posing after no-look passes, not with LeBron James making history and then making big play after big play and not with the Lakers, once again, playing with the kind of full-throttle effort that has them in second place in the Western Conference.
Doncic made six threes, including three-straight during one wild stretch of dominance in the first quarter, on his way to 30 points. And for as much as his shot-making knocked the Pelicans back early, his passing put them away. He found Jaxson Hayes over and over again at the rim for easy lobs and he swung to the open corner shooter whenever the rim was covered.
His 15 assists tied a season high.
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James, who entered the game one point shy of 50,000 total in regular season and playoff scoring, got across the threshold with a first quarter three before making four more. He scored 34 to lead the Lakers, along with eight rebounds and six assists, either he or Doncic perfectly picking the opposition apart at all times.
The Lakers, still without Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves, got 13 points from Dalton Knecht and 12 each from Jared Vanderbilt and Shake Milton.
Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 37 points, but the Lakers flew around the court and stifled everyone else. And even though they turned the ball over 15 times for 24 Pelican points, the game was never really in danger, particularly late as James and Doncic were much too good.
The team wraps their six-game homestand Thursday with another big game, this one against the New York Knicks.
Reaves, who was questionable to play Tuesday before being downgraded, could return before the team heads out for a four-game trip.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
