NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - When a motorist loses control on an icy road, the advice is to turn into the skid.
The Pelicans just can’t seem to stop their own slides this season.
New Orleans built a nine-point lead near the end of three quarters, then faded badly against the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers, who stormed back to take a 111-103 victory Tuesday (Jan. 6) at the Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans (8-30) have lost eight consecutive games. This is their fourth different losing skid of at least six games since the season began.
Trey Murphy III scored a season-high 42 points for the Pelicans, topping his 41-point game at San Antonio on Nov. 8. But it wasn’t enough to hold off the Lakers, who got 30 points each from stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Though the Lakers (23-11) were the road team ostensibly tired by their trip, it was the Pelicans who appeared to run out of gas in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles outscored New Orleans 32-17 in the final, decisive period.
The Pelicans had led 83-74 with 1:11 left in the third quarter, a nine-point lead that was their biggest of the night.
Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III had reason to smile after scoring in the first half Tuesday...
Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III had reason to smile after scoring in the first half Tuesday (Jan. 6) against the Lakers, en route to a season-high 42 points in what turned out to be New Orleans' eighth consecutive loss. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)(Matthew Hinton | AP)
After opening the year 2-10 (.167), the Pelicans fired Coach Willie Green on Nov. 15. They have now lost 20 of 26 games under interim coach James Borrego, for a modestly better .230 winning percentage.
New Orleans’ record is the worst in the Western Conference, and second-worst in the NBA (the Indiana Pacers are 6-31).
The Pelicans start a three-game road trip Wednesday in Atlanta. That game tips off at 6:30 p.m. on the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network.
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