New-look Lakers score big win over Pelicans

Los

ANGELES — LeBron James had 21 points in his first game since becoming the NBA’s career scoring leader, and Anthony Davis had 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in the new-look Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-102 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night (Thursday, Manila time).

D’Angelo Russell had 21 points and seven assists during his warm welcome home to the Lakers, who won for just the second time in six games. Los Angeles’ five new players all made their home debuts after the club’s busy trade deadline, and the Lakers never trailed.

James took three games off to rest his perpetually sore left ankle and foot immediately after he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record Feb. 7.

He returned for the final game before the All-Star weekend in another season that’s threatening to get away from the Lakers, who hit the break in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference at 27-32.

But the season isn’t over yet, and the Lakers got promising reinforcements. Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley joined James and Davis in the starting lineup, while Mo Bamba fouled out in 16 minutes as the backup center in his Lakers debut.

Russell’s debut was actually a homecoming,