Pelicans blow lead in final second, lose in overtime to Lakers

It was a hard one to take.

The Los Angeles Lakers overcame the New Orleans Pelicans, 120-117, in overtime Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

The Pelicans were well-rested. Playing the hated Lakers in Los Angeles in the second game in the City of Angels on the road trip, the devil – as in the bad – came out in the Pelicans.

The bad came early and lasted well into the third quarter. Then came the good as New Orleans rallied and ultimately took the lead.

Then came the really bad.

Needing to make just one free throw to put the game away with 1.6 seconds remaining, rookie Dyson Daniels missed two free throws. Daniels was on the floor for defense on the previous possession, replacing Zion Williamson.

Los Angeles called timeout.

Inexplicably, another young player, Trey Murphy III, camped in the lane while Matt Ryan ran to the right corner. Ryan caught the inbound pass and drained a three-pointer to tie the game, sending it to overtime.

It should never have happened.

Daniels has to make at least one free throw. Murphy has to extend to guard the 3-point line with his team leading by three points.

Young players have to mature.

Perhaps this was a chance for two young players to learn on the job.

Their failures cost New Orleans a win.

The Pelicans started okay and led 27-23 after one quarter, though they did not play all that well. It was more about the Lakers missing open perimeter shots than anything else.

New Orleans was flat out awful in the second quarter.

The Pelicans did not defend well, did not rebound well, did not shoot well, made bad decisions and turned the ball over.

The result was obvious as the Pelicans were outscored 33-17 and the Lakers closed the half on a 12-0 run to take a 56-44 lead by the break.

The Pelicans, who have been one of the best offensive teams in the NBA, looked like one of the worst in the half.

New Orleans shot just 38.7 percent from the field (18 of 47), made just 3 of 14 shots from 3-point range and only got to the free throw line five times.

In addition, the Pelicans were very sloppy, turning the ball over 11 times and the transition defense by New Orleans was simply poor.

New Orleans was minus 12 with Williamson on the floor in the half, worst on the team.

Jose Alvarado ignited the team in the third quarter.

He hit a 3-pointer, assisted on a slam dunk and hit a tear drop in the lane before nailing another 3-pointer as part of an 13-0 run to taka 77-76 lead with 1:27 to play in the quarter.

The Lakers answered with a 6-2 run to close the quarter to retake the lead at 82-79 going to the fourth quarter.

McCollum had 12 points in the quarter while Alvarado had eight points and two assists off the bench.

New Orleans built a 105-102 lead but the Lakers went on a 6-0 run to take a 108-105 lead.

The Pelicans rebounded as Williamson erupted in the fourth quarter, when it mattered most, after he had struggled much of the night.

Zion scored to cut the deficit to 108-107 then he hit two clutch free throws to make it 109-108.

The Lakers then went to an isolation game with LeBron James and Larry Nance Jr. drew the assignment. Nance held his ground and forced James into a fade-away shot which he missed.

CJ McCollum rebounded in hustling fashion and found Nance running the floor for a dunk to make it 111-108.

New Orleans got a stop and Daniels was fouled.

All he had to do was make one of two free throws.

You know the rest of the story.

Naturally, the Lakers controlled the overtime period and won it 120-117. McCollum had a contested look at a 3-pointer for the tie but he could not convert it.

Williamson, after struggling for much of three quarters, finished strong and scored 27 points with seven assists and five rebounds.

McCollum scored 22 points but was just 10 of 27 from the field and made just 1 of 6 from 3-point range. The Pelicans needed him to be better without Ingram.

Murphy scored 12 points but he was 0 for 5 from 3-point range.

Alvarado was a huge spark with 15 points and four assists off the bench in just 18 minutes. Perhaps he should have been on the floor in crunch time, which he was not.

While Daniels returned from injury, New Orleans was still without Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones.

The loss at home to Utah was tough.

The loss to the Lakers on this night was even tougher.

It is a long season but these are games you will remember and cannot get back.

New Orleans comes home to face the world champion Golden State Warriors Friday night.

The Pelicans hope to get another player back and hope to have short term memory.