The No. 7 vs. No. 8 Western Convention play-in recreation options two groups that did not anticipate to be right here. The Los Angeles Lakers regarded like a near-lock for the No. 10 seed once they misplaced to the Golden State Warriors final Tuesday. Actually, since they fell to No. 9 on Dec. 30, they spent a grand whole of three extra days within the common season inside the high eight within the standings.
The New Orleans Pelicans existed on the opposite finish of the spectrum. On Feb. 10, they moved as much as No. 6 and had seemingly escaped the play-in fully. They remained within the high six till April 5 and even might have clinched a playoff spot with a win over these Lakers on Sunday.
As an alternative, they misplaced and fell to No. 7. Now, the Lakers and Pelicans will face off for the second time in three days with a playoff berth on the road. Here is what you could know forward of the primary Western Convention Play-In recreation.
Lakers at Pelicans
- Date:Â Tuesday, April 16 |Â Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Location:Â Smoothie King Heart — New Orleans
- TV channel:Â TNT | Dwell stream: TNT app
- Odds: Lakers -1.5; O/U 226.5
Storylines
Lakers: Sunday supplied a lesson the Lakers in all probability ought to have realized by now given their sturdiness issues. Anthony Davis, after taking part in a career-high 76 video games for the Lakers, left Sunday’s win over the Pelicans as a result of again spasms within the closing minutes of a assured win. The Lakers seem optimistic about Davis’ standing for Tuesday, however simply having him on the courtroom will not be sufficient. The Lakers want a wholesome Davis to take care of the Pelicans. The Lakers are 6.8 factors worse per 100 possessions with Davis on the bench, however since Feb. 1, that determine jumps to 11. He’ll be dealing with a raucous crowd if he can swimsuit up towards his former workforce, however something lower than his greatest will not be adequate.
Pelicans: The Lakers have largely turned the Pelicans into their punching bag in high-profile video games. New Orleans had an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot at residence on Sunday. As an alternative, the Lakers blew them off of the ground. The Pelicans had an opportunity to make use of the In-Season Event as a launching pad towards mainstream acclaim. The Lakers smashed them by 44 factors within the semifinals. One thing concerning the huge stage hasn’t agreed with the Pelicans when the Lakers have been concerned these days. Can they alter that on Tuesday?
Prediction
Sunday’s win apart, the Lakers are the one Western Convention postseason workforce to complete under .500 on the highway this season. If Davis was going to be at 100% for sure, that may be simpler to disregard. However the Pelicans ought to have main benefits with regards to well being, residence courtroom, and after Sunday’s embarrassment, motivation. I am anticipating a Pelicans bounce again on Tuesday. The Choose: Pelicans +1.5
