By Rell Wright, Pelicans Contributor

The New Orleans Pelicans fought valiantly but fell short in a tightly contested 104-99 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. Despite leading 56-46 at halftime, the Pelicans couldn’t hold off a second-half surge led by Anthony Davis, who dominated with 31 points and 14 rebounds. Brandon Ingram shone brightly for New Orleans, pouring in 32 points and hitting a clutch late-game three-pointer that briefly gave the Pelicans a two-point lead.

However, it was LeBron James who sealed the victory for the Lakers with back-to-back three-pointers in the final 37 seconds. Rookie Dalton Knecht also delivered a breakout performance for Los Angeles, scoring a career-high 27 points and providing critical support in a spot start.

Despite being severely shorthanded with only 10 players suited up, the Pelicans displayed remarkable grit and energy. Reserve Jaylen Nowell added 16 points, helping New Orleans keep the game competitive against a Lakers team riding a five-game winning streak.

The Pelicans’ defensive intensity and strong rebounding efforts allowed them to maintain control in the first half, but struggles in the paint—where they were outscored 52-40—ultimately proved costly. With this loss, New Orleans has dropped 10 of their last 12 games and will look to regroup as they resume NBA Cup group play against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday night.