LeBron James Makes Winning Return in Los Angeles Lakers’ Rout of New Orleans Pelicans

• LeBron James returned to the lineup after missing time due to injury
• The king got scoring help from Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell
• The new-look Lakers won their final game before the All-Star break

The Lakers are finally back on track.

LeBron James made a triumphant return to the lineup, leading Los Angeles to a commanding 120-102 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

The victory helped the Lakers improve to 27-32, which is good for 13th place in the Western Conference.

The good news for the Lakers is that a playoff spot is still well within their reach. They are only 3.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth place in the West.

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Their odds of making the play-in tournament are even better, with Los Angeles trailing 10th-placed Oklahoma City by just two games as they head into the All-Star break.

LeBron solid in his return

All eyes were on James, who was making his first start since breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record last week.

The star, who was sidelined the previous three games due to a sore left ankle, did not disappoint. He recorded 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists against the Pelicans.

James got some much-needed help, with three other Lakers scoring in double-figures. Anthony Davis registered a double-double with 28 points and ten rebounds, per ESPN.

Lakers' new recruits impress

D’Angelo Russell dazzled in his first game playing alongside LeBron, scoring 21 points and dishing out a team-high seven assists.

He wasn’t the only new addition to start for LA. Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley joined Russell, James, and Davis in the Lakers’ 30th starting lineup of the season.

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Coach, Darvin Ham may continue sending out that starting five after the All-Star break, with that unit combining for 84 points in the win against New Orleans.

Mo Bamba also joined in the fun, with the former Orlando Magic man scoring four points and grabbing six boards. He sent Lakers fans into a frenzy when he scored a dunk after a beautiful pass from James.

Lakers struggle without LeBron

Sports Brief recently reported on the Lakers' loss against the Blazers. They had no answer for Damian Lillard, who scored 40 points for Portland.

The Blazers were red-hot from deep, knocking down 23 3-pointers against the Lakers. It did not help matters that James was out injured in that contest.

The scoring king is now back though and the signs look great for Los Angeles heading into the home stretch of the season.