King James Outduels Zion Williamson as Lakers Beat Pelicans 118-109
By John Holtz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Feb 2020
Lebron James had an epic game scoring a season high 40 points with eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Lakers in defeating top pick Zion Williamson and his Pelicans, 118-109 at the Staples Center Tuesday night, Feb. 25.
King James' first matchup versus Williamson showed that the "old man" still is the king, and he's not giving up his crown without a fight. Zion had several monster dunks but so did Lebron, as they went toe-to-toe. The crowd loved every minute of it. The Pelicans' rookie is a special talent, but this was Lebron's night, just one day after the Kobe Bryant memorial service was held there.
The Lakers started out on fire and had an early big lead in the first quarter, going up 17 to 4 but New Orleans fought back ending the quarter only down by 4. Lebron single-handedly went on a 11 to 0 run to start the second half hitting 3's like they were lay-ups. But when he was off the court, it was hard for LA to score and the Pelicans actually took the lead in the fourth quarter. The whole night it was a game of runs, with the Pelicans always clawing their way back until late in the fourth quarter when they just ran out of fire power. The first place Lakers notched their sixth straight win to advance their record to 44-12.
Zion used his strength and quickness to score 29 points, mostly all inside the paint and from the line. He added six rebounds with his incredible verticality. This is Williamson's ninth straight game with 20+ points. He looked unstoppable at times and showed why he is the most hyped rookie in the NBA since the King himself. The ex-Laker and new All-Star Brandon Ingram came back to LA looking for some revenge against the team that traded him. He scored an impressive 34 points, but came up short in the end.
So many story lines. We cannot forget about one of the top five players in the NBA and former face of the Pelicans, Anthony Davis, who looked like the defensive player of the year with six blocks, 14 boards and 21 points. In this new NBA where now you can pick who you play with, it looks like Lebron could not have picked a more perfect pairing.
The old Los Angeles Lakers face of the franchise just a few years back, Lonzo Ball, played decently, adding 10 points and a couple of sweet dimes. But he was utterly embarrassed when in the play of the night, he was blocked at the rim and thrown to the ground by crowd favorite Alex Caruso.
With this loss on Fat Tuesday, New Orleans falls to 25-33 and are 3 and 1/2 games back of the eighth spot in the West.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by John Holtz.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
VETERAN SAVVY VS UNDEFEATED POWER: MUGICHA NAKAGAWA VS LEMUEL DE BARBO AUGUST 1 IN LA TRINIDAD
By Carlos Costa, Wed, 29 Jul 2026SKYE NICOLSON TO DEFEND WORLD TITLE AGAINST MIYO YOSHIDA ON AUG 29 IN BIRMINGHAM AS MATCHROOM AND MVP ANNOUNCE ALLIANCE
Wed, 29 Jul 2026Tickets for Martinez vs. Plantic in Los Angles, Saturday, August 29
Wed, 29 Jul 2026Grandy Twins Celebrate Milestone 18th Birthday, Set to Shine at BiYu Promotions' "Fights Under the Lights" on August 14
Tue, 28 Jul 2026Sergeev and Lubkovich set for key bouts at WINLINE. IBA.PRO 20 in Naberezhnye Chelny
Tue, 28 Jul 2026Hard-hitting SEA Games bronze medalist Mark Ashley Fajardo signs with Sanman Boxing
Tue, 28 Jul 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 27 JULY 2026: Tszyu vs Spence, Return of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury Highlight Busy Week
By Eric Armit, Tue, 28 Jul 2026The Legacy Continues: Team Durán Prepares for Historic Panama-Mexico Showdown
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 28 Jul 2026NM Ric Portugalera Tops Hongkong Blitz Chess
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 28 Jul 2026Nurghali gets second shot at Japparbergenov’s bantamweight title at International Boxing Day in Astana
Tue, 28 Jul 2026Champion's Mindset: Gustavo Trujillo Ready to Defend BKB Heavyweight Title Against Mark O'Neil at BKB 58
Tue, 28 Jul 2026Spanish boxer Eddine has been Hospitalized in Spain
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 28 Jul 2026PH football in group C, G
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 28 Jul 2026PHILBOXING.COM MONDAY ROUNDUP: Tszyu Outclasses Spence in Sydney as "The Truth" Retires; Heavyweight Drama in Pattaya and Jeddah
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Mon, 27 Jul 2026'The Fight Is Signed': Hearn Declares Joshua vs. Fury Secured as Mind Games Begin with 'Landlord' Spoof
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Mon, 27 Jul 2026