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The Pelicans might have prevented the play-in with a win Sunday. As a substitute, they will get a rematch towards a crew that simply blew them out.
Throughout Sunday’s regular-season finale, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 124-108, in a recreation that wasn’t as shut as that last rating. Los Angeles put up 70 factors within the first half towards New Orleans, with LeBron James dishing a baker’s dozen of assists within the first half alone.
The outcome clinched eighth place for the Lakers and knocked the Pelicans from sixth place into the play-in. Now, two days after James did something he wished – he completed with a 28-17-11 triple-double on Sunday – the Pelicans need to play this similar crew in the identical place once more in a recreation for the No. 7 seed.
It is a worst-case situation for the Pelicans, who’re 1-3 towards the Lakers this 12 months. They’ve misplaced these video games by a mean of 15.7 factors, although they did beat L.A. by 20 factors at residence on New 12 months’s Eve.
However maybe most daunting is that Zion Williamson as soon as once more disappeared towards the Lakers in a must-win recreation. He had 12 factors and eight rebounds, together with 4 turnovers. When the Lakers trounced the Pelicans within the semifinal of the in-season event, Williamson had 13 factors and three turnovers whereas grabbing solely two rebounds.
The one destructive for a nearly-flawless season finale for the Lakers was that Anthony Davis left the sport with simply over 5 minutes to go, with what Lakers coach Darvin Ham known as a “spasm.”
Davis is anticipated to be again for Tuesday’s play-in recreation. It is not clear how lengthy he would have remained within the contest, anyway, because the Lakers have been up by 21 factors when he exited.
New Orleans might have the home-court in Tuesday’s play-in bout, however Sunday confirmed that it is the Lakers who’ve the benefit.
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