LeBron James and the Lakers sneak into the playoffs after beating New Orleans

LeBron James can never be considered defeated. In his 21st year in the NBA, and after having won the first Cup, the basketball phenomenon has imposed his experience to lead his team to a new playoffs. The Lakers have defeated the New Orleans Pelicans at home (110-106), who will play the last gasp of the 2023-2024 season on Friday in a game to the death against whoever wins between Sacramento and the Warriors. Meanwhile, the Lakers begin an uphill path towards the championship. The next stop will be against the defending champions, Nikola Jokić's Nuggets. It will be a repeat of last year's Western Conference final, when Denver swept Los Angeles 4-0.

The Pelicans were looking to reach their ninth playoffs. They fell short despite having a huge close. Zion Williamson, the powerful 23-year-old power forward, tied the game with less than four minutes left on the clock. His team had been down since the second period, but the player balanced the score with a spectacular

launched by point guard Jose Alvarado.

New Orleans was unlucky. He lost Williamson in the final minutes of the game to an injury. The number one in the 2019 draft class left the court with visible frustration. He left with 40 points and having converted 17 of 47 shots. It is his best game since December 2022. Willie Green, the New Orleans coach, replaced his most important player with CJ McCollum, an always reliable player, but who this Tuesday had a discreet performance (9 points in 30 minutes of action).

Williams, much criticized for his weight in the past, closes in great physical shape. A play by him culminated the first half. It was a speed attack where the former Duke player crossed the entire court to shoot a basket over Davis and James while the bell rang that sent everyone to the locker room. Despite having lost 12 kilos throughout the season, there were a couple of moments where he overwhelmed LeBron with his nearly 120 kilos of muscle.

The Lakers have won their sixth game on the road, a streak that must be taken into account as the team heads to Denver. “We are going to be tough on them,” promised James, who is already thinking about a rematch with Jokić. The Lakers will rest this Wednesday, when the Eastern Play In will take place, and then they will start preparing for the first round of the playoffs.

As usual, James once again finished as the Lakers' leading scorer. With 23 points, he was followed by a wonderful D'Angelo Russell (21), who scored five triples, and Anthony Davis, with 20 points and 15 rebounds, who was decisive throughout the game thanks to his effectiveness from the line. free shots. He converted 8 of 10.

The Lakers finished eighth in the West. This Tuesday they had their pillars to play the season against the seventh in the conference. The team had questioned Anthony Davis on Monday, who suffered back pain after Sunday's game, precisely against the Pelicans, in what was the last game of the regular season. The player received the green light this Tuesday afternoon to play against New Orleans, who was his team for seven seasons.

The second quarter was decisive for the Lakers. Their defense was key to prevent the locals from extending the advantage with which they ended the first period (34-26). Marking inside the perimeter complicated mid-range shots for the Pelicans, who saw the shot clock run out at one point. Rui Hachimura also won a personal battle against Brandon Ingram, a former Laker, who had eleven points today.

All five Los Angeles starters recorded double figures, while New Orleans needed a lot of help from the bench, especially from Larry Nance Jr. and Trey Murphy III, to close the gap in the fourth quarter. The Lakers' offensive machinery was clear in the second period, where they erased their opponents in a four-minute streak that added 13 points to the tally.