The Los Angeles Lakers (8-4) visit the New Orleans Pelicans (2-9) tonight at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.<\/p>\n
The Lakers are coming off a 121-92 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> on Wednesday \u2014 something the struggling Pelicans are used to. Luka Doncic<\/a> scored just 19 points, his lowest total of a season that began with three straight 40-point games. L.A. shot 40% from the field, allowed the Thunder to shoot 50%, and turned the ball over 20 times \u2014 all symptoms of OKC\u2019s defensive pressure.<\/p>\n Still, the sky isn\u2019t falling for Los Angeles. The Lakers are 8-4 and have won six of their last eight. They simply ran into the league\u2019s best team \u2014 an elite defense paired with a top-tier offense.<\/p>\n Now they face a team near the bottom on both ends of the court. The Pelicans have lost three straight, and wins have been hard to come by this season, with or without Zion Williamson<\/a>.<\/p>\n But they\u2019re starting to see improved production from first-round pick Derik Queen<\/a>, the standout from Maryland. He\u2019s coming off a 26-point performance against the Portland Trail Blazers<\/a> and has been efficient this month, shooting 52.5% while averaging 13.0 points per game. Trey Murphy III has also stepped up in Williamson\u2019s absence, averaging 22.5 points this month, including a 41-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs<\/a>.<\/p>\n Prediction<\/p>\n Expect a convincing win for the Lakers as they look to make a statement and rebound from the blowout loss to OKC.<\/p>\n Prediction: Lakers 125, Pelicans 108<\/p>\n How to Watch Lakers vs. Pelicans<\/p>\n Tip-off for tonight\u2019s Los Angeles Lakers vs. New Orleans Pelicans game is set for 8:00 PM Eastern \/ 7:00 PM Central \/ 5:00 PM Pacific at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.<\/p>\n The game airs live on Gulf Coast Sports Network, SportsNet LA, and the Pelicans+ streaming platform. <\/p>\n