In usual circumstances, the Lakers wouldn’t have played a competitive game against the Pelicans on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena. Because in most seasons, a team like the Pelicans, who entered the matchup with the league’s sixth-worst record, would be tanking with the hopes of falling in the standings to secure the best possible draft lottery odds.  But this season hasn’t been typical, with the Pelicans, who won six of their last nine games entering Tuesday, still looking to be competitive