In a thrilling Western Conference play-in tournament, the Los Angeles Lakers secured their playoff berth with a hard-fought 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on 16th April, Tuesday night. This win, driven by the dynamic duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, showcased the Lakers as formidable contenders as they head into the playoffs.
LeBron James was instrumental in the Lakers’ success, contributing 23 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds. His performance, combined with Davis’ double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds, was pivotal in the Lakers’ late-game push. The victory marks the Lakers’ 12th win in their last 15 games, emphasizing their strong form heading into the postseason.
“Tonight we showcased what we were able to do both offensively and defensively,” James commented post-game. “We’ve got a good group going right now, good rotation, good plan, and guys are coming in ready to go.”
The Pelicans, on the other hand, faced a significant setback with Zion Williamson’s injury. Williamson, who had a stellar game with 40 points and 11 rebounds, left the court in the final minutes due to left leg soreness. His absence was felt immediately as the Lakers capitalized on the opportunity to regain control of the game.
“Obviously a tough loss for us,” said Pelicans coach Willie Green. “We have to feel this one tonight and regroup and get ready for another one.”
Despite Williamson’s dominance, the Pelicans struggled to support their star player. Brandon Ingram, returning from a knee injury, managed only 11 points and spent the critical closing minutes on the bench. CJ McCollum also had a tough night, scoring just nine points on 4-of-15 shooting. Trey Murphy III added 12 points, including two deep three-pointers in the second half that helped the Pelicans close an 18-point deficit.
The Lakers’ depth shone through, with DeAngelo Russell contributing 21 points and hitting five three-pointers. James was flawless from the free-throw line, going 10-for-10, and Davis added 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. The Lakers’ overall 14-of-35 shooting from beyond the arc contrasted sharply with the Pelicans’ 9-of-29, highlighting a crucial difference in the game.
In the closing minutes, the Lakers executed critical plays, with James hitting a jumper, Davis dunking on an alley-oop from Austin Reaves, and Russell nailing a three-pointer. Davis’ offensive rebound and subsequent free throws sealed the game for Los Angeles.
The Lakers will now face the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first round, a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals, where the Nuggets swept the Lakers. Game 1 is set for Saturday night. Meanwhile, the Pelicans will host the Sacramento Kings on Friday, with the winner earning the No. 8 seed in the West.
Reflecting on Williamson’s performance, Coach Green stated, “He settled into the game. He just continued to attack. He found seams. He rebounded the ball. He played fast.” The Pelicans will be hoping for positive news on Williamson’s injury to bolster their chances in the upcoming must-win game against Sacramento.
Lakers vs New Orleans Pelicans Match Player Stats
Los Angeles Lakers
| PLAYER | MIN | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rui Hachimura (F) | 32:43 | 5 | 6 | 83.3 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | -6 |
| LeBron James (F) | 40:54 | 6 | 20 | 30.0 | 1 | 5 | 20.0 | 10 | 10 | 100 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 11 |
| Anthony Davis (C) | 40:13 | 6 | 16 | 37.5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 8 | 10 | 80.0 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 20 | -5 |
| Austin Reaves (G) | 36:27 | 5 | 11 | 45.5 | 2 | 5 | 40.0 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 4 |
| D’Angelo Russell (G) | 36:30 | 7 | 14 | 50.0 | 5 | 11 | 45.5 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21 | 16 |
| Spencer Dinwiddie | 5:10 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -9 |
| Taurean Prince | 22:21 | 2 | 7 | 28.6 | 2 | 6 | 33.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Jaxson Hayes | 7:49 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| Gabe Vincent | 17:53 | 3 | 6 | 50.0 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Max Christie | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Maxwell Lewis | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cam Reddish | DNP – Injury/Illness | |||||||||||||||||||
| TOTALS | 35 | 84 | 41.7 | 14 | 35 | 40.0 | 26 | 29 | 89.7 | 6 | 35 | 41 | 24 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 110 | 4 |
New Orleans Pelicans
| PLAYER | MIN | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | PTS | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Ingram (F) | 24:56 | 4 | 12 | 33.3 | 1 | 1 | 100 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 11 | -16 |
| Zion Williamson (F) | 36:27 | 17 | 27 | 63.0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 6 | 9 | 66.7 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 3 |
| Jonas Valanciunas (C) | 20:14 | 1 | 7 | 14.3 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | -13 |
| Herbert Jones (G) | 35:08 | 4 | 7 | 57.1 | 2 | 4 | 50.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| CJ McCollum (G) | 29:38 | 4 | 15 | 26.7 | 1 | 9 | 11.1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 | -17 |
| Trey Murphy III | 30:42 | 5 | 10 | 50.0 | 2 | 6 | 33.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 8 |
| Larry Nance Jr. | 27:42 | 4 | 7 | 57.1 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 7 |
| Jose Alvarado | 25:16 | 4 | 7 | 57.1 | 2 | 5 | 40.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| Dyson Daniels | 9:58 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -3 |
| Jordan Hawkins | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| E.J. Liddell | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Naji Marshall | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Matt Ryan | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| Cody Zeller | DNP – Coach’s Decision | |||||||||||||||||||
| TOTALS | 43 | 93 | 46.2 | 9 | 30 | 30.0 | 11 | 15 | 73.3 | 10 | 40 | 50 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 23 | 106 | -4 |
