In their most recent game, the Los Angeles Lakers showed a strong quality with a 124-108 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on the road. The win not only lifted the Lakers' standings in the Western Conference and kept them in eighth place, but also laid a solid foundation for the team's upcoming play-in tournaments.
The Lakers played well in this game, blossoming in multiple points and showing a high level on both offensive and defensive ends. On the offensive end, the Lakers players worked together, passed smoothly, and shot well, successfully tearing apart the Pelicans' defense. On the defensive end, the Lakers showed tenacious fighting spirit and tenacious defense, limiting the Pelicans' scoring.
It's worth mentioning that this isn't the Lakers' first win over the Pelicans this season. In fact, the Lakers have won three of their four meetings with the Pelicans, and the margin of each victory is quite significant, at 44, 17, and 16 points, respectively. Such a record fully proves the superiority and strength of the Lakers against the Pelicans.
With this victory, the Lakers have locked up eighth place in the Western Conference, and they will continue to challenge the Pelicans on the road in the play-in tournament. Considering the Lakers' excellent performance against the Pelicans in the regular season, fans have reason to expect the Lakers to once again show excellent form in the play-offs and achieve the ultimate victory.
As it stands, the Nuggets, who are second in the West, will face the playoff winners in 7th and 8th place, and the Thunder, who are in first place in the West, will face the playoff losers in 7th and 8th place and the winner of the play-off winners in 9th and 10th place. The Lakers are currently eighth in the West and they will face the Pelicans again in the playoffs. If the Lakers win in the playoffs, they will finish seventh in the playoffs and their first game will be against the Nuggets. However, if the Lakers lose in the play-in tournament, they will battle the ninth- and tenth-place playoff winners for eighth place, and the first-round opponent will be the young Thunder.
The Lakers' record against the Nuggets is not optimistic, they were swept by the Nuggets in the playoffs last season, lost to opponents three times in the regular season this season, and have lost eight straight games against the Nuggets. As a result, some Lakers fans and commentators have come up with a strategy on whether the Lakers should deliberately lose to the Pelicans in the play-in tournament to avoid the Nuggets. The good thing about this strategy is that if the Lakers lose the play-in tournament, they will face the Thunder in the first round, and the Lakers have won three of their four meetings this season, so the Thunder are a more willing opponent for the Lakers.
However, there are risks associated with this strategy. The play-offs are a winner-or-lose game, and the outcome of the game is highly fortuitous, and if the Lakers deliberately lose to the Pelicans, then they risk missing out on the playoffs outright.