On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers were looking to win their regular-season finale on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans to secure the best spot possible in the Play-In Tournament.
Ultimately, the Pelicans didn’t stand a chance against LeBron James and company, as the Lakers came out firing on all cylinders after a very disappointing game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night, in which they barely came out with the win.
As a result of an impressive win over the Pelicans on Sunday afternoon, the Lakers have now secured the No. 8 spot in the West, which means they’ll play the Pelicans again in New Orleans on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The Lakers clinch No. 8 in the play-in tournament and will play the No. 7 Pelicans right here in Nola in about 48 hours after winning 124-108 on Sunday. LeBron closes out his 21st season with his 5th triple-double (28p 17a 11r 5s). Anthony Davis had 30p 11r before exiting early
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 14, 2024
With the Lakers dominating the Pelicans on Sunday, the team likes its chances against Zion Williamson’s squad on Tuesday, but Los Angeles has a major concern moving forward as superstar Anthony Davis suffered back and hip spasms during Sunday’s game.
Davis couldn’t finish the game on Sunday, which has prompted concern that he might not be ready or close to 100% when taking on the Pelicans on Tuesday at Smoothie King Center.
If Davis can’t go or isn’t close to being 100%, that could change this matchup completely, as New Orleans might get the edge and have a better chance of advancing to the first round of the playoffs.
However, if the Lakers lose, they will still have a shot at advancing to the first round of the postseason, as they’d play the loser of the Warriors and Kings.
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