NEW ORLEANS — LeBron James had a triple-double as the visiting Los Angeles Lakers overcame the absence of All-Star forward Anthony Davis and defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 122-114, on Sunday night.

Davis, who averaged 36 points as the Lakers won the first three meetings with his former team, sat out because of knee soreness one night after a 105-88 loss at Memphis in which Los Angeles had a season-low point total.

James, who had 40 points in a 118-109 home victory against the Pelicans on Tuesday, finished with 34 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds.

Kyle Kuzma added 20 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 13, and Danny Green, Avery Bradley and Markieff Morris had 10 each.

Rookie Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with a career-high 35 points, marking his 11th consecutive games with 20-plus points. Lonzo Ball scored 19, Brandon Ingram had 15 on 5-of-23 shooting, Derrick Favors had 12 points and 14 rebounds, Jrue Holiday scored 11 and Nicolo Melli added 10.

The Lakers led by two at halftime, but Green scored the team’s first five points of the third quarter and the lead quickly grew to 77-68.

Williamson scored the first four points of a 9-0 run that pulled the Pelicans even.

The score was tied four more times before New Orleans took a 95-93 lead at the end of the third quarter.

James started the fourth-quarter with a jumper to tie the game before the Pelicans scored six straight points.

The Lakers answered with an 11-0 run as James had two baskets and assists on Kuzma’s 3-pointer and Quinn Cook’s jumper to make the score 106-101.

Williamson scored five points to help New Orleans pull even at 108.

Kuzma and James each made a 3-pointer to give Los Angeles a 116-111 lead with 2:27 remaining and the Pelicans scored just three points after that.

Ingram scored nine points and Josh Hart beat the quarter buzzer with a tip-in as New Orleans took a 33-29 lead at the end of the first period.

James had 11 of his 19 first-half points in the second quarter, making all five of his shots, including one 3-pointer, as the Lakers edged in front 63-61 at halftime.

NUGGETS DOWN RAPTORS
In Denver, Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists, Jamal Murray used a hot start to finish with 22 points, and the hosts Nuggets beat the Toronto Raptors, 133-118, on Sunday night.

Torrey Craig had a season-high 17 points off the bench, Jerami Grant scored 16 and Gary Harris finished with 15 for the Nuggets, who had eight players score in double figures.

Jokic now has 12 triple-doubles this season and 40 for his career in the regular season. He was three assists shy of the mark at halftime and didn’t get his 10th until late in the fourth quarter.

OG Anunoby had a career-high 32 points, Norman Powell scored 24, Kyle Lowry added 17 and Pascal Siakam finished with 16 for Toronto. The Raptors have lost three straight for the first time in nearly three months. — Reuters

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