The Los Angeles Lakers dominated the Pelicans in their regular season finale to lock up the eighth seed and knock New Orleans into the Play-In Tournament. LeBron James and Anthony Davis activated playoff mode, and the contest was never close. Being eighth is a massive advance in the play-in, and the victory, plus the Suns defeating the Timberwolves secured a rematch on Tuesday in the Big Easy.
The Lakers picked up two of their biggest wins of the season against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. They blew them off the court in the In-Season Tournament semifinals in Las Vegas and again dominated to secure eighth in the regular season finale. It appears LA has their number. They won three of four meetings this season, but it is a one-off contest on Tuesday night.
AD suffered a back injury in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s win. He vowed to play in the Play-In Tournament, but will he be healthy enough? Here is a look at the latest injury report and everything fans need to know about Tuesday’s contest.
Anthony Davis’ status for Play-In Tournament battle vs. Pelicans
Davis is officially listed as questionable with back spasms, but fans should expect him to suit up on Tuesday.
AD played a career-high 76 games this season. It would be disappointing to see him miss this contest, but it may happen. Check back for updates as they become available.
UPDATE: Anthony Davis is available to play vs. Pelicans.
LeBron James' status for Play-In game vs. Pelicans
King James also finds himself on the injury report. He is listed as probable with a left ankle injury. There is zero chance LeBron sits with a playoff berth on the line.
UPDATE: LeBron James is available to play on Tuesday.
Lakers injury report
LeBron and AD are joined by three players who were ruled out for this contest. Jarred Vanderbilt (foot), Christian Wood (knee), and Jalen Hood-Schifino (back) will not play in New Orleans.
Pelicans injury report
Cody Zeller is the only player on the Pels injury report, and he is listed as available with a facial injury. Expect them to be at full strength on April 16.
Tonight's projected starting lineups
Lakers: D'Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Anthony Davis
Pelicans: C.J. McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, Zion Williamson, Jonas Valanciunas
What’s at stake in today’s Play-In Tournament showdown?
The winner advances to the playoffs as the seventh seed. A first-round playoff matchup with the Denver Nuggets awaits, but neither team wants to lose on Tuesday night. A defeat sets up a game on Friday against the winner of the nine versus ten battle for the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
There is a blueprint for losing the first play-in game before making a run to the NBA Finals. The Lakers would prefer to avoid that situation, especially with the Warriors or Kings looming. They should feel the pressure to win on Tuesday night and lock up their position.
Neither team will be eliminated on Tuesday night. The Los Angeles Lakers need Anthony Davis if they plan on winning and making a deep playoff run. His back injury seems minor, but stay tuned for all the latest and enjoy the game.