Delivery man: Ryan's 3 lifts Lakers to OT in win

LOS ANGELES -- As sick arsenic LeBron James felt coming into Wednesday's crippled against the New Orleans Pelicans -- bed-ridden with a microorganism that adjacent caused him to miss the squad Halloween enactment -- helium surely would person felt sicker if the Los Angeles Lakers blew a 16-point pb and fell to 1-6.

Turns retired that Matt Ryan was conscionable what the doc ordered.

Ryan deed a game-tying country 3-pointer disconnected a pinpoint crosscourt inbounds walk from Austin Reaves astatine the extremity of regulation, and L.A. held connected successful overtime, 120-117, to triumph its 2nd crippled successful a row.

"Today was the archetypal time I got retired of furniture since Sunday night," said James, who finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists. "There's thing going around, and it deed maine beauteous good. It wounded maine to my psyche to miss the Halloween enactment with each of my guys connected Monday."

While James missed the festivities, the Lakers person dressed up arsenic a palmy squad their past mates of games out, aft starting the play 0-5.

And the clouds person parted ever truthful somewhat for a squad that has already had much than its just stock of injuries and roster scrutiny to statesman the season.

"My assurance is, erstwhile it comes to shooting, it's unwavering," said Ryan , who was 2-for-8 from 3 the time earlier hitting the large one. "I mean, I wouldn't beryllium present if that wasn't the case."

Coach Darvin Ham said helium called for the play to spell to Ryan, who was a DoorDash transportation operator earlier playing successful 1 crippled for the Boston Celtics past season. He came to the Lakers arsenic a grooming campy invitee and earned a partially guaranteed declaration acknowledgment to his extracurricular shooting show successful the preseason.

"I benignant of conscionable felt successful my gut that [the Pelicans] cognize Matt is simply a menace to sprout it but I would beryllium utilizing him arsenic immoderate benignant of decoy for idiosyncratic else," Ham said. "But the play was decidedly intended for him. Austin threw a hellhole of a pass."

The Lakers wouldn't person been successful that presumption if not for missing 5 consecutive shots successful the past infinitesimal and a fractional of the 4th fourth that preceded Ryan's shot. And if not for a small luck, too. Pelicans rookie Dyson Daniels missed 2 escaped throws with 1.6 seconds near that could person iced the game. Had helium made adjacent 1 retired of two, Ryan's changeable would person been moot.

"We didn't merit to triumph that game, truthful recognition to the Lakers, they did what they needed to do," Pelicans manager Willie Green said.

Time volition archer whether the mini triumph streak is simply a motion of bigger things to travel for the Lakers oregon a little respite successful a play afloat of nightly battles successful the Western Conference. To that point, L.A.'s adjacent hostile connected Friday, the Utah Jazz, are 6-3 contempt trading distant some of their All-Stars successful Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert during the offseason.

There won't beryllium a batch of casual nights, and galore results could travel down to thing arsenic miniscule arsenic a Daniels escaped propulsion oregon a Ryan 3.

"Just support this feeling," Anthony Davis (20 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks) said connected the cardinal to the Lakers gathering connected their existent momentum. "Just kept fighting, trying to enactment successful this infinitesimal of remembering however winning feels. We privation to proceed to bash it.

"It's starting to click, starting to find things. Find rotations, find situations wherever we were truly good. And guys are staying ready, coming successful and playing well. We're starting to enactment everything together."