The Lakers defeated the Pelicans
On April 2, Beijing time, the Lakers and the Pelicans launched a regular season showdown. The outcome of this game is related to whether the Lakers can enter the playoff area again. Lakers James and Anthony Davis have both returned from injury, and Howard has also been mentioned in the starting position. The Lakers will aim to win and thus get out of the haze of losing streaks.
James and Anthony Davis come back
The two teams clung to the score in the first three quarters, and the point difference was always between single digits. James and Anthony Davis led the team against CJ McCollum, Valanciunas and Ingram. James scored 21 points in the 3rd quarter to help the Lakers outperform their opponents by one point before entering the final quarter. In the final quarter, the two teams continued to fight. In the deciding moment, Ingram played alone, Valanciunas scored five points from the middle and long range, and the Pelicans went on a 7-0 offensive run to overtake the Purple and Gold Army by four points.
CJ McCollum singles Westbrook
Bradley hit a three-pointer, but Anthony Davis missed consecutive shots since then. CJ McCollum hit all two free throws, James missed another three-pointer, and the Lakers eventually lost 111-114 to their opponents. The Pelicans beat the Purple and Gold for the third time this season.
Ingram and CJ McCollum led the Pelicans to victory over the Lakers
Wei Shao 5 out of 15, Zhan Huang thick eyebrows at the end of the quarter 6 points! The Lakers lost and met the Devil's schedule, and the playoffs were hanging!
Westbrook 5 of 15
In this game, Lakers backcourt superstar Russell Westbrook performed badly. Westbrook shot 1 of 6 in the first half and scored only 2 points. Wei Shao, who was plagued by fouls, scored 10 points in the final quarter. However, in the final moments Westbrook made six full departures. Westbrook shot 5-of-15 from the field and scored 12 points, 4 boards and 5-of-12.
Lakers Westbrook
As one of the highest paid players in the team, Westbrook did not play a performance that matched his value. At the same time, Wei Shao's plus-minus is the lowest -12 in the whole game. Wei Shao needs to take the main responsibility for the Lakers' loss in this battle.
Zhan Huang scored a total of 6 points in the last quarter of the thick eyebrows
Lakers star LeBron James and interior core Anthony Davis returned at the same time in this battle. LeBron James played 40 minutes, shooting 13-of-23, 3-of-8 from three-point range, 9-of-12 from 12, and blasting 38 points, 8 boards, 4 assists and 1 all-around statistic. James scored 36 points in the first three quarters, but in the last quarter he shot 1-of-3 and scored only 2 points. Constrained by physical fitness, James' offensive threat in the 4th quarter was greatly reduced.
James missed a three-pointer
Anthony Davis played 36 minutes, shooting 8-of-17, 1-of-2 from three-point range and 6-of-9 from the free throw line, for a total of 23 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. The thick-browed brother cut two double-doubles and got the rebounding king of this game. However, the thick-browed brother did not perform well in the final section. Thick brow last quarter 1-of-5 shooting, 4-of-4 free throws, only 4 points.
Anthony Davis against Valanciunas
James and Anthony Davis, on 2-of-8 shooting in the final quarter, scored just six points. In the crucial moments of the last 5 minutes of the final quarter, James and Thick Brow shot a total of 1 of 6 and 0 of 2 from the free throw line. The collective loss of James and Anthony Davis in the final quarter was the direct cause of the Lakers' loss.
Lakers Anthony Davis with LeBron James
After the loss, the Lakers' record reached 31 wins and 46 losses. The 11th-place Lakers in the West have swallowed up a five-game losing streak and are three wins behind the 9th-place Pelicans. Meanwhile, the Lakers are one win behind the 10th-place Spurs (32-45). With only five regular season games remaining, the Lakers, who are not in the play-off area, are in jeopardy. There is not much time left for the Lakers, and the Purple and Gold Army theoretically has the possibility of reaching the playoffs, but it is quite difficult.
The Lakers encountered the Devil's schedule, and the playoffs were hanging?
According to data media Tankathon, the Lakers rank 4th in the league in the difficulty of the remaining schedule, and 4 of the next 5 games will have to face the top 6 teams in the West. In the next 5 games, the Lakers will play against the Nuggets (6th in the West) twice, and then against the Suns (1st in the league), the Warriors (3rd in the West) and the Thunder.
Suns, Warriors
At the end of the regular season, the Nuggets and Warriors need to compete for better positions, and the Suns hope to continue to run into the lineup, and it is difficult for the Lakers to beat the above 3 powerhouses. It is worth noting that the Thunder have defeated the Lakers in the first 3 showdowns of the season. If the Lakers can't maintain all of their wins in the next 5 games, it will be difficult to finally reach the top 10 in the West.
Lakers 3 giants James, Thick Brow Brother and Westbrook
After all, rival Pelicans and Spurs have an easier schedule. Will the Lakers, which have 3 giants James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook, really end up in the playoffs and eventually miss the playoffs?