The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off an incredible performance against the New Orleans Pelicans, winning the contest 124-108. While the Lakers closed out their regular season with a win, it ensured a rematch with the Pelicans in the first round of the Play-In Tournament, set to tip off tomorrow. However, the availability of LBJ will be of utmost importance in the post-season.
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For their upcoming contest, Purple and Gold have listed LeBron James (left ankle peroneal tendinopathy) as ‘Probable’ and Anthony Davis (back spasms) as ‘Questionable’, as per the official report. Other Lakers personnel, Christian Wood, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and Jarred Vanderbilt all remain ‘Out’ with their respective injuries.
LeBron’s ankle issues have raised a few eyebrows, as the 39-year-old was instrumental in the Lakers’ previous match-up against the Pelicans. In fact, LeBron had a career-defining night against the Pelicans, finishing with 28 points, 11 rebounds, 17 assists, and five steals in a blowout victory.
On the other hand, Davis’ status for the game also seems to be up in the air after he incurred a back injury during their recent contest. While going up for an offensive rebound, he was pushed in the back by Larry Nance Jr. and left the floor soon after the incident. Even though he might have tweaked his back on the play, he was very vocal about his return during the post-game presser,
“Yeah. No doubt that I’m gonna play. Just see how it feels the rest of the day, obviously, get massages and treatment to keep it loose and see how it feels in the next 24-26 hours and get ready for Tuesday.”
Without Davis at the center, it will be exceedingly difficult for the Lakers to win against a younger and faster Pelicans team. Davis anchored the Lakers, scoring 30 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists. If he does manage to stay healthy throughout the post-season, the Lakers might have a shot of making a deep run against a strong Western Conference bracket.
The Lakers postseason looks scary
The Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the New Orleans Pelicans in less than 24 hours from now. If the Lakers manage to dismantle the Pelicans during their rematch, they will be awarded the 7th seed.
The only drawback of gaining the 7th seed is that the winner will face off against the defending Champions, the Denver Nuggets. While OKC and the Timberwolves have been great regular season teams, this time around, Denver is the only one in the top three that possesses any real post-season experience, making them the worst match-up in the West.
While a match-up with them is almost inevitable for any team advancing deep into the playoffs, analysts aren’t sure if LeBron James and Co. really want to meet Denver early on in the tournament.
