The Los Angeles Lakers have been working out the kinks, as a three-game losing streak a week ago sent some fans into a panic about the team's state. Since then, however, the Lakers have won three consecutive games, including a 110-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

It was a masterclass on the defensive end that paved the way for the Lakers to run away with the victory. They outscored the Pelicans 34-23 in the final frame, and they had a stretch where they were getting their hands on the Pelicans' ballhandlers on every drive. This showed the upside the team can have on the defensive end when they have active hands and when they're locked in as a unit.

In fact, this victory impressed Lakers head coach JJ Redick to the point where he compared this to the kind of wins they were getting earlier in the season when they started the 2025-26 campaign with a 15-4 record.

“Frankly, that's not a win we've had since probably November where we're down. A lot of those early wins when we started 15-4, we had a number of double-digit deficits in the second half and just stuck with it and kept playing. It was a good win for us to be able to do that again,” Redick said in his postgame presser, via Benjamin Royer of the Orange County Register.

Article Continues Below

Lakers match the Pelicans' physicality

Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) shoots against the Boston Celtics during the second half at Crypto.com Arena
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Redick also credited Marcus Smart and Jaxson Hayes for stepping up and helping the Lakers assert themselves defensively in the second half, leading to a comfortable win in the end.

“Big emphasis for us pregame and on the film was just our physicality. You have to match Zion's physicality. Match Saddiq Bey's physicality. I thought Smart was incredible tonight. Him and Jaxson in the second half when we got back into the game defensively as well. They helped us win the game. They changed the game,” Redick added.