12:12 a.m. ET
Andrew Lopez ESPN
NEW ORLEANS — What started out as a promising weekend for the New Orleans Pelicans was slowly turning into a nightmare.
In a deciding set back-to-back against the two teams they face in the Western Conference play-in race, the Pelicans lost by four points to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday and then found themselves by 23 points to the Los Angeles Lakers On Sunday evening.
But after a 41-point third quarter, the Pelicans prevailed for a 116-108 win and slipped to ninth place in the West with a half-game lead over the Lakers and a 1½-game lead over the Spurs.
“We made some adjustments at halftime to challenge our group to be more disciplined,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green. “We were kind of everywhere. To their credit, they came out and hit us in the mouth straight away. We persevered. We were just resilient the whole game. The goal and the key for us is not try to get it back all at once . Just one stop. One result after another. We’re just so proud in the dressing room. That was growth.”
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According to research from ESPN Stats & Information, it was the largest lost lead in a game that LeBron James put up for the Lakers. After the game, he called the defeat a “microcosm” of the team’s season.
“We couldn’t last all year, and tonight was another one of those cases,” James said. “It feels like s—. I mean, excuse my language, but that’s how it feels. I came in with the mindset and understood it was a playoff atmosphere, playoff implications and things like that. … Of course it feels like a missed opportunity for me and our team. We couldn’t make it.”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the team needed to quickly turn the page for Tuesday’s game against the Mavericks in Dallas.
“It hurts. This game hurts. It was a big game,” said Vogel. “But we have to regroup, we have to find a way to beat Dallas and get a couple of wins here at the track. The time is running out. We came out with the right urgency for this game but couldn’t finish it.”
The performance was stunning as Los Angeles dominated the first half. James scored 25 points from his game high of 39 points. The team shot 66.7% from the field and hit 11 of 19 3-pointers. Everything went in the direction of the Lakers.
But just like on Feb. 27 in Los Angeles, the Pelicans used a huge third quarter to shift momentum. They outperformed the Lakers 44-25 in the fourth that day. This time they surpassed them 41-25.
Los Angeles still had a four-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but New Orleans took that for good with a pull-up jumper from Brandon Ingram with 5-01 left.
“It shows that we believe in each other,” Ingram said. “We were floored and faced with adversity at the moment LeBron got everything he wanted. Everyone stayed ready. We executed.
Ingram had missed 10 straight games with a right hamstring strain. He was limited to just under 26 minutes but responded with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
“It’s good to have him back, number 1,” said Green. “We missed him. The things he does on the floor are amazing. His size, his strength, his ability to shoot over guys. I think more than anything our guys understand the moment.”
The Pelicans also played out CJ McCollum (sprained left ankle) and Jonas Valanciunas (front right foot) after both made game decisions. McCollum had 18 points and Valanciunas finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
New Orleans almost lost Jaxson Hayes in the first quarter after dislocating his left index finger, but he returned with fingers taped together on his left hand.
But perhaps the biggest boost of the Pelicans night came from rookie Trey Murphy, who had 21 points, all in the second half. Murphy scored 16 of those in the third quarter as New Orleans started their comeback.
“I just think he prepared for those moments,” Green said. “Has played in a few G-League games. The hard work of going to the gym and working on your craft. He’s gotten better and better throughout the season. We used all his 21 tonight. We are proud of him.”
Murphy’s minutes have been inconsistent this season, but when Ingram went down with a hamstring injury, he was recalled from the G League to gain vital minutes of rotation. In his last 10 games, Murphy averaged 9.9 points while shooting 48.7% from deep.
“Just have confidence and know that you got drafted for that,” Murphy said. “I was shooting at a high level my senior year in college and I’ve kept working at it and getting better. In order for our team to win, I have to contribute somehow. Shooting is definitely a way to do that.”
The Pelicans have seven games left, five of them away. They begin a four-game road trip against the Trail Blazers in Portland on Wednesday. The game after? A trip to Los Angeles to face the Lakers for the last time this season.
Green knows the confidence from Sunday’s win could go a long way in determining whether the Pelicans have a postseason game in store.
“We could potentially see one of those teams again,” Green said. “This was a great catalyst for our group.”
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.