The Lakers messed around for a half, but then got serious (enough) to put away a depleted Pelicans squad. In the meantime, does Dalton Knecht need to reenter the rotation? It took a minute to shake off the fatigue off the back-to-back, but once they did the Lakers took and kept control, pulling away from the Pels in the second half to win 124-108. Luka Dončić started slow but was 7-9 from the floor in the 2nd half, finishing with 35 points. Austin Reaves, after hitting nine triples against the Warriors Thursday, had six more on Friday en route to 30 points, along with seven assists. LeBron James kicked in with 27 points and eight assists. The Big Three lived at the line, combining for all 28 of LA's free throws. As a team, the Lakers kept the turnovers down, and never seemed to doubt their ability to get the plays required to win, even when the Pelicans drew close. Was it a pretty win? No. Did it need to be? No. With two games coming up in Oklahoma City, followed by Luka's return to Dallas and a home date against Houston, they can be excused for only exerting the amount of effort required to win on Friday. Andy and Brian Kamenetzky Your favorite podcast now has a newsletter! In One-stop for ultimate team and league coverage delivered right to your in box. Sign up for free now, at lockedondaily.com. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! OpenPhone Streamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/lockedonnba 5-Hour ENERGY Head to 5-hourENERGY.com to find over 15 flavors to choose from, including Watermelon, Blue Raspberry, and Peach-Mango. Need one now? Grab a 5-hour ENERGY shot at your local grocery or convenience store—they’re everywhere! Stock up today and stay energized. WayFair After the holiday hustle, there’s nothing like giving your home a little TLC. Give your home the refresh it needs with Wayfair. Head to Wayfair.com right now. Wayfair. Every style. Every home. Prizepicks Now’s the perfect time to join. Download the app todayand use codeLOCKEDONNBA to get $50 instantly when you play your first $5 lineup! That’s right—no need to win to get the bonus, it’s guaranteed. PrizePicks—Run Your Game!Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNBA Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Right now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)