By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
Notification Show More
Latest News
Matt Campbell: Cy-Hawk Game 'Unbelievable Opportunity' for Iowa State
Matt Campbell: Cy-Hawk Game ‘Unbelievable Opportunity’ for Iowa State
Game Analysis
NBA Reportedly Finalizing Another New Format for This Season's All-Star Game
NBA Reportedly Finalizing Another New Format for This Season’s All-Star Game
Game Analysis
Chiefs-Buccaneers Rematch? 'First Things First' Crew Predicts Super Bowl LX
Chiefs-Buccaneers Rematch? ‘First Things First’ Crew Predicts Super Bowl LX
Game Analysis NFL
How Matt Patricia, Caleb Downs 'Bamboozled' a Heisman Campaign Before It Began
How Matt Patricia, Caleb Downs ‘Bamboozled’ a Heisman Campaign Before It Began
Game Analysis
Most-Watched Week 1 CFB Game in History: Texas-OSU Has 16.6 Million Viewers
Most-Watched Week 1 CFB Game in History: Texas-OSU Has 16.6 Million Viewers
Game Analysis
Aa
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Reading: LeBron James’ triple-double lifts Lakers over Pelicans; play-in rematch set for Tuesday
Share
Aa
BigPaulSportsBigPaulSports
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Search
  • Big Paul Sports
  • Services
  • Game Analysis
  • Free Picks
  • Premium Content
  • Registration
  • Member Login
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
BigPaulSports > Blog > Game Analysis > LeBron James’ triple-double lifts Lakers over Pelicans; play-in rematch set for Tuesday
Game Analysis

LeBron James’ triple-double lifts Lakers over Pelicans; play-in rematch set for Tuesday

BigP
Last updated: 2024/04/15 at 2:25 AM
BigP Published April 15, 2024
Share
LeBron James' triple-double lifts Lakers over Pelicans; play-in rematch set for Tuesday
SHARE

Contents
Why Anthony Davis, not LeBron, is more crucial for the Lakers 2024 NBA Championship odds: Celtics, Nuggets favored for Finals; LAC rises 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament: Bracket, schedule, scores, standings, rules Why chaos should be expected on last day of the NBA regular season Vanessa Bryant gifts exclusive sneakers to Dodgers on Mamba Day anniversary 2024 NBA MVP odds, race: Nikola Jokic heavily favored to win third MVP NBA play-in games set: Heat-76ers, Hawks-Bulls, Lakers-Pelicans, Warriors-Kings Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season with Spurs is over, won’t play in season finale NBA Champions by Year: Complete list of NBA Finals winners 2024 NBA Playoff odds: Play-in tournament, first-round odds tracker

LeBron James closed out his 21st NBA regular season looking invigorated, formidable on both ends of the court and ready to produce in the postseason.

James had 28 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals, and the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 124-108 victory over New Orleans on Sunday that dropped the Pelicans out of a coveted top-six seeding.

“I just want to win. So, whatever the game presents itself for me to be,” said James, who also serves as a primary defender on Pelicans star power forward Zion Williamson. “I am a Swiss army knife. I’ve got to do it all on the floor, but none of it is predetermined.”

Anthony Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds against the team that made him the first overall NBA draft choice in 2012 to help set up a rematch on Tuesday night in the same arena in the conference play-in.

ADVERTISEMENT

Davis, who asked out of the game in the final minutes and walked gingerly back to the locker room holding his lower back, said his back “locked up” when he was shoved from behind while in the air, but added that his ailment was “nothing concerning.”

“There’s no doubt that I’m going to play” in Tuesday’s play-in game, Davis said. “Get some massages, get some treatment, just keep it loose. Just see how I feel over the next 36 hours and be ready.”

James’ triple-double was his fifth this season and his playmaking helped spearhead a dominant performance in the paint, where Los Angeles outscored New Orleans 68-42.

“They got whatever they wanted in the paint,” Williamson said. “They dominated us in the paint.

James said he set out to “read the game and just find my teammates.”

“Just try to put the ball on time and on target for either jump shots or guys at the rim,” James added. “Just trying to be very efficient with my play.”

James also helped hold Williamson, who averages a Pelicans-leading 23 points per game, to 12 points.

“He’s a beast. It’s almost impossible to stop him,” James said of Williamson. “So, just try to keep a body on him and just try to make it tough on him.”

Williamson, meanwhile, criticized himself for “being too passive.”

“I don’t think I was super aggressive the whole game,” he said.

Austin Reaves scored 20 points and D’Angelo Russell scored 19 for the Lakers, who won eight of their final 11 regular-season games.

CJ McCollum scored 23 for the Pelicans, who were coming off a four-game road winning streak and welcomed high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram back into the lineup, only to fall flat at home while trying to lock up a No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in.

Instead, the matchup was reminiscent of the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinal in Las Vegas in December, when the Lakers embarrassed the Pelicans 133-89.

“They punched us right in the mouth and they kept going,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We let a really good opportunity slip away.”

Ingram, who had missed the previous 12 games with a left knee contusion, scored 13 points. Herb Jones added 18 points for New Orleans.

After Ingram’s 3 pulled the Pelicans to 28-24 at the first-quarter horn, the Lakers went to the foul line because of an apparent officiating error.

Official John Goble announced that Los Angeles mistakenly was not granted free throws on the Pelicans’ second foul in the last two minutes of the period. Taurean Prince made both.

The Lakers then opened the second quarter with Prince’s driving layup to make it 32-24. A reverse layup by James then sparked a 9-0 run to make it 41-26.

Why Anthony Davis, not LeBron, is more crucial for the Lakers

Why Anthony Davis, not LeBron, is more crucial for the Lakers

While New Orleans was missing 14 of its first 19 from deep, the Lakers were snagging long rebounds and converting in transition.

Reaves’ 3-pointer and his breakaway dunk gave the Lakers their first 20-point lead at 53-33. Another Reaves 3 made it 70-53.

The Lakers opened the third period with a 3 by Reaves, two more from deep by Russell and a cutting dunk by Davis that made it 83-57.

Another Russell 3 gave the Lakers their largest lead at 91-59.

“We’ve got to regroup as a team because we’re here now,” Williamson said. “We didn’t get the result we wanted, but our confidence is still there.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience

National Basketball Association

National Basketball Association

Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James

LeBron James


recommended

  • NBA Trending Image: 2024 NBA Championship odds: Celtics, Nuggets favored for Finals; LAC rises

    2024 NBA Championship odds: Celtics, Nuggets favored for Finals; LAC rises

    NBA Trending Image: 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament: Bracket, schedule, scores, standings, rules

    2024 NBA Play-In Tournament: Bracket, schedule, scores, standings, rules

    NBA Trending Image: Why chaos should be expected on last day of the NBA regular season

    Why chaos should be expected on last day of the NBA regular season

  • NBA Trending Image: Vanessa Bryant gifts exclusive sneakers to Dodgers on Mamba Day anniversary

    Vanessa Bryant gifts exclusive sneakers to Dodgers on Mamba Day anniversary

    NBA Trending Image: 2024 NBA MVP odds, race: Nikola Jokic heavily favored to win third MVP

    2024 NBA MVP odds, race: Nikola Jokic heavily favored to win third MVP

    NBA Trending Image: NBA play-in games set: Heat-76ers, Hawks-Bulls, Lakers-Pelicans, Warriors-Kings

    NBA play-in games set: Heat-76ers, Hawks-Bulls, Lakers-Pelicans, Warriors-Kings

  • NBA Trending Image: Victor Wembanyama's rookie season with Spurs is over, won't play in season finale

    Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season with Spurs is over, won’t play in season finale

    NBA Trending Image: NBA Champions by Year: Complete list of NBA Finals winners

    NBA Champions by Year: Complete list of NBA Finals winners

    NBA Trending Image: 2024 NBA Playoff odds: Play-in tournament, first-round odds tracker

    2024 NBA Playoff odds: Play-in tournament, first-round odds tracker


National Basketball Association

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more


in this topic

Sponsored Content

Bet the World Cup in Wager.dm

You Might Also Like

Matt Campbell: Cy-Hawk Game ‘Unbelievable Opportunity’ for Iowa State

NBA Reportedly Finalizing Another New Format for This Season’s All-Star Game

Chiefs-Buccaneers Rematch? ‘First Things First’ Crew Predicts Super Bowl LX

How Matt Patricia, Caleb Downs ‘Bamboozled’ a Heisman Campaign Before It Began

TAGGED: nba
BigP April 15, 2024
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print

Follow US

Find US on Social Medias
Facebook Like
Twitter Follow
Youtube Subscribe
Telegram Follow
newsletter featurednewsletter featured

Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

    Popular News
    Navy promotes DC Newberry to head coach
    NCAASports News

    Navy promotes DC Newberry to head coach

    BigP BigP December 19, 2022
    Tennessee promotes QB coach Halzle to OC
    2023 NFL draft order: Top 18 picks set with Bears, Texans, Cardinals at the top
    Bills ink vet Murray after passing on RBs in draft
    Giants’ Waller (hamstring) potentially out weeks
    - Advertisement -
    Ad imageAd image

    Categories

    • Sports

    About US

    We offer information and tips on US Sports and evernts all over the world.
    Top Categories
    • Game Analysis
    • Free Picks
    • Services
    • Premium Content

    Subscribe US

    Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

      © Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.

      Removed from reading list

      Undo
      Welcome Back!

      Sign in to your account

      Lost your password?