On March 22, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA regular season was in full swing. Before today's game, the Lakers and Pelicans both had a record of 30 wins and 41 losses, with the Pelicans ranking 9th with a win-loss advantage and the Lakers ranking 10th!
The Lakers challenged the Cavaliers on the road today. James exploded and scored 38 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, and Westbrook had 20 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists. Trailing by as many as 14 points, the Lakers completed a comeback and eventually beat the Cavaliers 131:120 to end the road trip with a 2-2 record.
In another game, the Pelicans took on the Hornets on the road, and they had a nine-point lead in the final quarter, but were stubbornly blocked by the Hornets. The Pelicans scored just 19 points in the final quarter before being blasted by the Hornets for 28 points, and as Graham missed a three-pointer, the Pelicans lost 103-106 to the Hornets.
As a result, the Western rankings have changed again. The Lakers' record became 31-41, the Pelicans became 30-42, and the Lakers returned to 9th place in the West with a one-win advantage. In the battle for home advantage in the playoffs, the Lakers took the lead.
According to the schedule, the Lakers and Pelicans will also have two direct encounters. On March 28 (Pelicans home) and April 2 (Lakers home), the outcome of these two games will likely determine the 9th place in the West! In addition, the 8th-place Clippers in the West have a record of 36-37 and the 10th-place Spurs in the West have a record of 28-44.