Cam Reddish, Rui Hachimura sit for Lakers’ game against Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS — The Lakers were without another starter on Saturday, with wing Cam Reddish not being available against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center, in addition to Rui Hachimura being sidelined for the second consecutive game.

Reddish was ruled out an hour before tipoff because of a right peroneal strain – irritation or inflammation in the tendons that run along the outside of a person’s ankle and foot.

Coach JJ Redick said Reddish dealt with ankle issues in September, resulting in him being a “modified player” during parts of training camp – meaning no live action.

Reddish was sidelined multiple times last season because of right ankle injuries.

“Sometimes you just kind of tweak that stuff,” Redick said pregame. “But as far as I know nothing acute in the sense of like an injury. It’s just banged up.”

Reddish, who’s in his sixth NBA season and second with the Lakers, entered Saturday with averages of 4.7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 steal. He started in the previous four games after first entering the rotation in the Nov. 4 road loss to the Detroit Pistons.

Hachimura sat for the second consecutive night because of a sprained right ankle after missing Friday’s road win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Third-year wing Max Christie and rookie forward Dalton Knecht started alongside Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Anthony Davis in light of the Lakers’ injuries.

The Lakers were already without backup centers Jaxson Hayes (sprained left ankle) and Christian Wood (offseason left knee surgery), forward Jarred Vanderbilt (offseason feet surgery recovery) and second-year guard Jalen Hood-Schifino (left groin soreness).

The Pelicans, who were also playing on the second night of a back-to-back after picking up a home win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, also had significant injuries.

New Orleans was without Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Jordan Hawkins and Jose Alvarado.

LETTING IT FLY

Star big man Anthony Davis has increased his 3-point volume since his one-game absence because of left plantar fasciitis in the Nov. 6 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Davis took at least two 3-pointers in each of the last four games entering Saturday, knocking down at least a pair of 3s in all of those games too, going a combined 8 of 12.

He also attempted four 3s in the Nov. 4 road loss to the Detroit Pistons.

“He’s made some big-time 3s late in games for us,” Redick said of Davis. “[Friday] night was fun for me because there was a play that early in the second, earlier in the second half where he caught on the right wing. And Zach Collins closed short and he thought about shooting it and ended up not shooting it, getting to ISO. It was like a butter situation where it was a late shot clock, contested two. And during a timeout, I said to him, ‘Those are the 3s that… if there’s a reckless closeout by all means, drive that. But those are the threes that you have to be willing to take every time.’

“And then he took and made two right after that. That to me is, that’s what we want him to do. If there’s a center packed in the paint and he’s got his feet set and it’s a good catch-and-shoot opportunity and rhythm he’s got to be willing to take this.”

Davis went 1 of 2 on 3s in the first half against the Pelicans.