With the victory, the Lakers locked themselves into the No. 8 spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, assuring themselves two chances to advance.

“I just read the game and I was just finding my teammates and I just tried to put the ball on time and on target for either jump shots or guys at the rim,” James said of his passing. “I just tried to be very efficient with my play.”

He had 13 assists in the first half — at one point Austin Reaves said he looked up and wondered if there was a typo on the scoreboard.

But the feelings weren’t all good after Anthony Davis was forced to the locker room to watch the game’s final minutes.

With the Lakers up 21 midway through the fourth quarter, Davis tried to follow a Gabe Vincent missed shot, but after a slight shove in the back, he landed awkwardly. On the next possession, he appeared to try to stretch something on the left side of his lower body before signaling to the bench for a sub.

He eventually left the court for the locker room.

The Lakers, though, dodged a serious problem. Davis said his back merely “locked up” on him after the push and awkward landing.

He said he’d definitely play Tuesday against the Pelicans, in a game that’s scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PDT.

James opened the game on a passing tear, dishing out eight assists in the first eight minutes as the Lakers showed little respect for the Pelicans’ interior presence.

They led by double digits in the first half and held off a New Orleans push in the second half before making another run to go up big. They held a comfortable cushion the rest of the game.

All five starters scored in double figures, including D’Angelo Russell, who bounced back from a mini-slump to score 19 while making five three-pointers.

Williamson shot just four for 13 from the field with James getting most of the assignment. CJ McCollum scored 25 points and Brandon Ingram returned to the court to score 13.

The Lakers now have the challenge of doing this again Tuesday, a road team needing to sweep a two-game set against a Pelicans team ready for revenge.

“That’s exactly what it feels like. So, you don’t get too high on one win because you have to come back and play again,” James said. “So, we played good ball tonight but some things we can be better at and there are some things we can take from today. But at the end of the day, the game on Tuesday is a new game and it’s an opportunity for us to get better.”

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