Following their victory at the Play-in Tournament, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, will be able to participate in the NBA Playoffs for the second consecutive year. This is a result of their triumph over New Orleans.
Zion Williamson, who was selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, is eager to demonstrate that he is a reliable member of the team both in the present and in the future.
As the Pelicans prepare to play the Los Angeles Lakers in the Play-in game, this becomes even more significant because Anthony Davis, another player who was selected first overall by the Pelicans, will be on the opposing side of the front line.
The two players that were selected first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson, are still part of the team’s roster.
In the game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Zion Williamson did everything in his power to assist New Orleans in turning around its fortunes. He scored forty points and played with a significant amount of muscle.
However, despite all of Zion’s efforts, they were not successful on the day that they were unlucky at a crucial moment in the game. At the Smoothie Kings Center, the Los Angeles Lakers narrowly prevailed with a score of 110-106 to secure the seventh spot in the Western Conference Playoffs. This victory was a spectacular escape for the Lakers.
Anthony Davis and LeBron James are the driving forces behind the Los Angeles Lakers’ bid to return to the National Basketball Association Playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets, the team who defeated Los Angeles in the regional final series of the previous year, will be the team that the Los Angeles Lakers face in the first round of the playoff matchup.
When it comes to the New Orleans Pelicans, the opportunity to participate in the playoffs is still available to them if they are successful in defeating the team that emerges victorious from the last play-in match between the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors.
23 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks were all contributed by LeBron James, who led the Lakers in scoring. The “king’s” bad closing day, which consisted of only 6-20 field goals, including 1-5 three-point shots (10-10 free throws), is compensated for by this comprehensive set of indications.
Although LeBron James missed 14 shots in this match, he still had 23 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists.
D’Angelo Russell scored 21 points and 6 assists. Anthony Davis had 20 points, 15 rebounds (including 6 offensive rebounds) and added 3 blocks. Austin Reaves scored 16 points and had 6 assists.
On the New Orleans Pelicans side, Zion Williamson scored 40 points (17-27 FG) with 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Behind him are 6 different players scoring from 9-12 points.
Excellent day but sad ending for Zion Williamson
Before entering today’s competition, the New Orleans Pelicans had lost 5 of the last 6 times they faced the Los Angeles Lakers.
Zion Williamson is determined to change this by entering the game extremely energetic. His muscular and effective fighting style helped the Pelicans take a 10-point lead in the first half.
Zion Williamson bombarded the Los Angeles Lakers defense with 40 points the whole game
This advantage was erased by the Lakers in the second half and for a moment, New Orleans faced an 18-point lead (55-73). But Zion once again spoke up, playing explosively with 4 consecutive successful shots to bring the score back into balance.
However, the turning point in the match also occurred when Zion Williamson seemed to be injured even though he did not collide with anyone.
When Zion left the field with 40 points, the two teams were 95-95. Although the Pelicans still fought until the last minute and only suffered a narrow 106-110 defeat, things could have been very different if Williamson had continued to play.
Sharing after the match, New Orleans head coach Willie Green did not have any updates on his student’s injury. He only confirmed that Zion Williamson will have a more detailed scan the next day.
Los Angeles Lakers escaped spectacularly thanks to D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis
Despite Zion’s injury, the New Orleans Pelicans still put a lot of pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers and it seemed like the home team could turn the match around.
However, D’Angelo Russell’s cold 3-pointer right in front of the Pelicans’ bench opened up a 4-point lead for Los Angeles.
D’Angelo Russell continues to show his value in the Los Angeles Lakers shirt with a “clutch” 3-pointer.
The Lakers’ next move saw LeBron James throw an airball, but Anthony Davis was there with super long arms, grabbed the offensive rebound and then stepped up to the free throw line due to a foul.
These two situations kept the gap at 4 points and did not give the Pelicans a chance to complete the comeback, a bitter outcome for the “Pelicans” when they erased their opponent’s 18-point lead.
This is the 12th victory in the last 13 matches of the Los Angeles Lakers when Anthony Davis played completely. This statistic shows how important the big man born in 1993 is to the yellow and purple team.
Looking back at the breathtaking ending of the 2024 Play-in Tournament between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans
Next time they play, the New Orleans Pelicans will play the final match in the Play-in Tournament series on Saturday morning (Vietnam time). The Pelicans’ opponent is the winning team in the match between the Warriors and Kings.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers advance to the NBA Playoffs and will play Game 1 on the Denver Nuggets’ field. The match takes place on Sunday morning, April 21.