Pelicans, Lakers duke it out at Staples Center
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Lakers picked up perhaps their biggest win in this dismal season last time out and will try to carry that momentum into Tuesday's matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans at Staples Center.
The Lakers used an alley-oop lay-in with 6.9 seconds remaining to knock off the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center, 107-106, on Monday night.
Kent Bazemore tried to split a pair of defenders on a breakaway and had the ball knocked out of bounds with 7.1 seconds showing.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Replay was used to overturn the original call of Blazers ball, and Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni drew up an inbounds play that saw Bazemore lob one for Wesley Johnson from the sideline.
Despite LaMarcus Aldridge being draped all over him, Johnson got the go-ahead bucket to fall, and the Lakers survived Damian Lillard's off-balanced 25- footer at the buzzer.
"Bazemore made a great pass and Wes did a good job of executing," D'Antoni said. "Everyone had to do their job, and we executed it pretty well."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pau Gasol and Jodie Meeks led LA with 22 and 21 points, respectively, while Bazemore and Johnson both netted 14 in just the third back-to-back win for the club since the beginning of January.
The Pelicans weren't so fortunate on Monday night. They fell to the Sacramento Kings, 96-89 at Sleep Train Arena for their eighth consecutive loss and sixth straight setback on the road.
"It's just a tough loss - another one," Pelicans coach Monty Williams told the team's website. "We've just got to own it. We had another bad stretch that caused us to have a bad game. We know that. Everyone in our locker room understands it. Nobody's going to rescue us. We're not looking for anybody to feel sorry for us."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tyreke Evans, who spent his first four seasons in Sacramento before being traded to New Orleans last July, totaled 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the setback.
Brian Roberts managed 15 points, followed by 13 from Anthony Davis and 10 out of Eric Gordon.
Tuesday marks the end of the five-game western road trip for the Pelicans. They will play six in a row in the Big Easy, starting Friday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}These teams have split two meetings this season with the home team holding serve each time. The Lakers have won 12 of the last 13 matchups and nine in a row as the host.