The final rounds of the NBA regular season are contested, and the focus game is undoubtedly the lakers' home game against the Pelicans. Before the start of this game, the Lakers and Spurs have the same record, the Pelicans are ranked 9th in the West, this game is crucial for the Lakers, only wins can gain the upper hand in the playoff quota competition, if you lose, the Spurs will further open up the advantage, and the later games are more and more difficult for the Lakers. Obviously, the Lakers are also confident of winning this game, James returned from injury after two games off, and Davis also appeared in this game. The Big Three can finally play side by side again, no doubt adding more confidence to their game.
The whole game of the two teams is indeed a game that should be a life and death battle, whether it is the intensity of the scene or the degree of anxiety of the score is difficult to understand, the game can only be decided at a critical moment. The Lakers had a lead at one point in the final stages of the game. But James was locked up, Davis returned from injury and needed to adjust his first game, and Westbrook was sent off at a critical moment, which also made the Lakers want to score seem a little difficult, while the Pelicans, whether mcCollum or Ingram, showed quite good form, and continued to have the upper hand when the team needed to score. McCollum was also soft at the crucial moment, scoring two key free throws. With James missing three points, the Pelicans won 114-111 against the Lakers on the road, basically locking in the ninth place in the West. The Lakers were pulled away by the Spurs, and the winning gap came to 1 game, and the subsequent game can be said to have no room for loss.
The loss of this game is not that the Lakers themselves have played poorly, the big three have played well in this game, and the team has found opportunities in the inside and outside lines. And for most of the game, it was able to withstand the pelicans' onslaught. But the team still couldn't win the game. This can only be said to be that the Pelicans have the upper hand in absolute strength. Coupled with James' excessive physical exertion in the third quarter, James scored only 2 points in the fourth quarter. Especially at key moments, there are repeated mistakes, so the Lakers do not seem to have too many excuses and reasons for the loss of this campaign, and the lack of strength is the only reason for their loss in the case of a sufficiently neat lineup. Maybe they'll be able to get a ticket to the play-offs this season, but it's hard to beat the Suns in the playoffs. It is no exaggeration to say that this season's Lakers have had a hard time doing too much.
Of course, the Lakers still have to worry about their play-off qualifications, and fans have high hopes for the Lakers at the beginning of the season. In just a few months, the Lakers are currently unable to hold the tenth position in the West. Accompanied by the difficult schedule in the back, the Lakers still need to continue to chase the gap of nearly 1 win, which is obviously still very difficult. After losing this life-and-death battle, the Lakers' entry into the playoffs is only theoretically possible.
Lakers and Lakers fans should also face up to the team's problems, injuries are certainly one of the influencing factors, but the team's strength is difficult to match with the playoff teams. This game made the Lakers truly recognize their own strength and level, and gave them no reason to continue to develop for this game. They have no room to lose behind, and once they lose, it means that the season is coming to an end at any time, so for the Lakers, do it and cherish it!