'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABeAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABggQAAEDBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQABREhBhITIgEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAxEBAAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQARA0ECEhP/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AM8WHiDVviPKfhRHH3ZyIkQlwuIbX5+gKgtvPU4IOzU0vistlamzbrNlBKTgKA1rXzSlPgrytBe2wdR8jXJn/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The LA Lakers started like a house on fire in their 123-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. LA dropped 14 straight unanswered points, led by Anthony Davis, who made the first eight.
From there, the three-point barrage continued in the first 24 minutes of play. Once the dust had settled, the Lakers made 15 shots from deep to give them a 75-40 lead heading into the halftime break.
The blistering form caused a frenzy on Twitter with reactions:
"Wins piling up without LeSelfish out there"
Malik Beasley led the onslaught from behind the arc. He exploded for 21 first-half points, hitting 7-10 shots from long range.
Beasley's three-point barrage was the most in a half since the late Kobe Bryant had eight trifectas against the Washington Wizards in 2003.
LeBron James bemoaned the lack of shooters early in the season. He finally got a few after the LA Lakers moved on from Russell Westbrook before the trade deadline.
D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, who were not with the Lakers to start the season, combined to make 5-15 three-point shots. Austin Reaves came off the bench to add 3-4 from behind the arc.
Before they arrived, the LA Lakers consistently failed to punish teams who refused to run them off the three-point line. Westbrook, Kendrick Nunn and Patrick Beverley, three of the team's most inefficient marksmen from behind the arc, are now playing somewhere else.
Fans still trolled LeBron James despite being sidelined last night. They know that when he's around, the four-time MVP will never shy away from jacking up shots from deep.
"King James" is 30.8% from long range distance this season, the worst since he averaged 29.8% in his rookie year.
James' 6.9 3PA this season is second only to Malik Beasley's 8.0 3PA. How the superstar's inefficient shooting will affect the team's overall shooting remains to be seen.
The LA Lakers could still struggle if their shooters fail to convert three-point shots
After making 15 three-point shots in the first half, the LA Lakers managed to make just three in the next 24 minutes of the game. Beasley didn't hit another long-range shot until the fourth quarter.
LA started to relax, which allowed the New Orleans Pelicans to slowly get into the game. At the same time, things would not have gotten a little more interesting had their hot shooting form continued.
Darvin Ham made the necessary adjustments by pushing his team to drive more, probably knowing their blistering form would not last the entire game. LA earned 18 free-throw attempts in the second half, which signaled their intent to score inside the paint.
The LA Lakers have looked terrifying when one of Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell get it going from behind the arc. If the two can sustain this form moving forward, no team will enjoy playing against the Lakers in a series.
The Lakers are still 26th in three-point shooting percentage with 34.2%. There will be nights when the three-point shot will desert them. They will just have to work around that as they try to push for a playoff spot.
You may also like to read: Are the LA Lakers in the 2023 NBA Playoffs? Current status and chances to qualify for playoffs explored
