Sochan's points didn't help! San Antonio Spurs defeated

Jeremy Sochan scored 12 points as his San Antonio Spurs lost to the Pelicans 103-109 in New Orleans. In another Tuesday night NBA game, Luka Doncic recorded the first triple-double for the LA Lakers, playing against his former club, the Dallas Mavericks (107-99).

The "Spurs" faced the "Pelicans" for the second time in the last three days. On Sunday, also away, the Texas basketball players lost 96:114, with the Polish representative scoring four points in 21 minutes.

SEE ALSO: Five defeats in six games. Unsuccessful prologue for Poles before EuroBasket

This time, he spent 19 minutes on the court, also coming off the bench, and came close to recording a so-called double-double. He hit six of 10 two-point attempts, missed only one three-pointer, didn't go to the free-throw line, also had nine rebounds (five defensive, four offensive), two assists and two turnovers, also two blocks.

The visitors' team was led by Devin Vassell with 20 points, Harrison Barnes and De'Aaron Fox with 15 each, and point guard Chris Paul with 12 and 10 assists. After this game, the 39-year-old veteran became the first NBA player in history to record at least 500 points and 400 assists in 19 different seasons.

Among the hosts, Trey Murphy III stood out - 24, Zion Williamson - 18, CJ McCollum - 13 and reserve Jordan Hawkins - 12.

The Spurs started the game brilliantly. At the beginning of the second quarter they led 35:16, but the Pelicans reduced this deficit to two points (49:51) before the break. After the break, the hosts decided the game in their favor in the fourth part, winning 30:20.

"Everyone is pushing and trying. This season can be unforgiving. We need to maintain our confidence, both individually and as a group, and continue to execute consistently," said visiting coach Mitch Johnson after the third consecutive defeat.

The highlight of Tuesday's series of games was a meeting at the crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, in which the local Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks. Three weeks ago, both teams made a shocking exchange of their top players to the basketball world. The Slovenian Luka Doncic led the "Lakers" to a 107:99 victory over his former club, scoring his first triple-double in Californian colors - 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. It was also his fourth such achievement this season and 81st in his career.

LeBron James led the Lakers with 27 and 12 rebounds, and Austin Reaves added 20 points. It was the third consecutive victory for coach JJ Redick's team, with Doncic in the lineup having a 3-2 record.

In the Texas team, which played without the currently injured star Anthony Davis, acquired from the Lakers, the standout players were Kyrie Irving - 35 and Klay Thompson - 22 points.

The Lakers, with a record of 35 wins and 21 losses, are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings, the Mavericks (31-28) are in ninth place, the Spurs (24-33) have dropped to 13th place, and the Pelicans (15-43) are right behind them. The leader is the Oklahoma City Thunder (46-11).

The best team in the entire league is the Cleveland Cavaliers (48-10). The team leading the Eastern Conference won its eighth game in a row on Tuesday, beating the Orlando Magic in Florida 122-82. The most points for the visitors this time were scored by reserve Ty Jerome.

In turn, the defending champion Boston Celtics won their sixth consecutive victory, beating the Toronto Raptors 111-101 in Canada. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White scored 24 and 22 points for the Celtics, respectively. The NBA champions have won 10 of their last 11 games and are second in the East with a 42-16 record.