NBA Play-In: Lakers-Pelicans Preview, Props & Prediction
Tue Apr 16 2:56pm ET
Field Level Media
The NBA playoffs officially tip off with Tuesday night's play-in game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans, who will play host to the one-and-done series two nights after getting thumped at home by the very same opponent.
The Lakers (47-35) enter as the No. 8 seed, and didn't even leave town after Sunday's 124-108 win over the Pelicans (49-33), who had to settle for the No. 7 seed. Tuesday's winner will advance to play the second-seeded Denver Nuggets in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
TRENDING
The Pelicans are consensus 1.5-point favorites despite trailing by as many as 32 points on Sunday in a game that had potential for New Orleans to claim the No. 6 seed and avoid this rematch. It was actually the closest of the four meetings between the teams this season, three of which were won by the Lakers.
New Orleans has home-court advantage, or does it? The Pelicans have dropped their past five home games and haven't won at the Smoothie King Center since March 28.
Los Angeles has predictably drawn 71 percent of the spread-line bets and 60 percent of the money at BetMGM, where the Lakers' +100 moneyline has also been backed by 76 percent of the money. The same spread at BetRivers has seen the Lakers supported by a smaller majority with 57 percent of the bets and 55 percent of the money.
Prediction: LeBron James has owned Zion Williamson in their head-to-head matchups, and the veteran Lakers are poised to handle the Pelicans for a fourth time in five tries this season. --Lakers 118, Pelicans 110
PROP PICK
LeBron James Over 26.5 Points (-115 at BetMGM): James averaged 25.7 points during the regular season, which he capped by averaging 32.7 points over the past three games. That included 28 points in 38 minutes on Sunday. James scored just 21 in a Feb. 9 home win over the Pelicans, but he did tally 35 in a New Year's Eve win in New Orleans and had 30 in an in-season tournament win over the Pelicans earlier that month.
THE NEWS
James isn't feeling comfortable about the repeat matchup even though his squad just steamrolled the Pelicans on the latter's home floor.
"Tuesday's game is going to be extremely hard, extremely difficult, extremely physical," James said. "I've always known that, when you play a playoff series -- and I look at this like a two-game playoff series -- if you win that first game, a team has multiple days to kind of sit on that feeling, or sit with that taste in their mouth of defeat.
"So they're going to be extremely ready for us and we have to come in with the same sense of urgency that we had the previous game."
Pelicans coach Willie Green certainly isn't going to forget the bitter taste between now and tipoff.
"We have to come back with the right mentality," Green said. "They were the aggressors. We have to be the aggressive team. We have to be the more physical team. We have to keep them out of our paint and make them take contested shots and rebound the ball.
"They played with a ton of force. They came out right away. At least for the first half, they punched us right in the mouth and kept going."
James recorded 28 points, a season-best 17 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals during the easy win. Anthony Davis had 30 points on 13-of-17 shooting and collected 11 rebounds before leaving with back spasms just past the midway point of the final quarter.
Williamson had just 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting while often being guarded by James, and New Orleans gave up 70 first-half points after returning home from a 4-0 road trip.
INJURY REPORT
Listed as questionable, Davis maintained there was no way he would sit out against the Pelicans, the team with which he spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career.
"No doubt that I'm going to play," Davis said. "Get some treatment, keep it loose, just see how I feel over the next 24-36 hours."
New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram (left knee) returned from a 12-game absence to score 13 points in 23 minutes Sunday. Ingram figures to be available for more minutes on Tuesday.
KEY STAT
CJ McCollum has been a standout this month for the Pelicans and he scored 25 points on Sunday for his seventh straight game of 25 or more points.
McCollum had topped 30 four times during the stretch and is 42 of 80 (52.5) from 3-point range during the seven-game hot streak.
"We will be better in the next game. It was a good road trip. We got four wins on the road," he said. "Now we have to take care of business on home court."
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Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley has been awarded the NBA's 2023-24 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year. This is the second time he has earned this honor in his career, as he was given the award during the 2018-2019 season as well. In the voting, the 36-year-old finished ahead of Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson. Conley's efforts helped Minnesota earn the third seed in the Western Conference this year. He will try to propel the Timberwolves to a deep playoff run as they prepare for a highly anticipated second-round matchup with the Denver Nuggets.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee) is considered questionable for Thursday's game versus the New York Knicks because of a left-knee injury. This injury designation has become the norm for the superstar big man, but he has not missed a single game in this series. The 76ers have a ton of momentum heading into Game 6 after their thrilling victory on Tuesday, however, they still face elimination and will need Embiid to be at his best to keep their season alive again. Despite his field-goal percentage being lower by more than 9% compared to the regular season, he has still posted dominant numbers during this postseason, with averages of 31.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game. The official word on his playing status will come on Thursday.
Miami Heat guard Duncan Robinson (back) will play in Wednesday's contest against the Boston Celtics. The sharpshooter has continued to play through a back injury, and Miami will need everyone to step up as they face elimination in Game 5. Robinson has not made much of an impact in this series, playing less than 10 minutes in both of the previous two games. However, the Heat continue to struggle with injuries, as Jimmy Butler (knee), Terry Rozier (neck), and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (hip) are all unavailable to play, which could lead to a bigger role for Robinson.
Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (foot) will suit up for Wednesday's game versus the Boston Celtics. The 27-year-old is listed on the injury report because of plantar fasciitis in his right foot, however, he will be able to play through the ailment as Miami hopes to keep their season alive in Game 5. The Heat are facing elimination against a talented Celtics team, and it is likely Highsmith will play a larger role since Miami is missing key players such as Jimmy Butler (knee), Terry Rozier (neck), and Jaime Jaquez Jr. (hip). Highsmith could be a sneaky play for DFS managers for Wednesday's game, as he has seen at least 19 minutes in every matchup of this series.
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton had a rough outing in Game 5 against Milwaukee on Tuesday, finishing a 115-92 loss with 16 points, four rebounds, and six assists. Haliburton turned in a below-par line despite a hot start that saw him hit two treys inside the first four minutes. He ended up going 4-for-10 from downtown with a 6-for-14 overall effort from the field. Pascal Siakam was limited to 12 points, and the Pacers definitely need more from their leaders to wrap up the series in Game 6 on Thursday.
Milwaukee Bucks forward/center Bobby Portis was back to his best against Indiana on Tuesday, helping the team extend the series in Game 5 with a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double. He shot 14-for-24 from the field and had one assist and one steal as well. This was an impressive bounce-back performance from Portis after he was limited to only four points and three rebounds in Game 4 due to an early ejection. Filling in for Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) in the first unit, Portis has done a great job, averaging 15.8 points and 10.6 rebounds in the series. He should remain a double-double threat even if Antetokounmpo is cleared for action and Portis heads back to the bench.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton notched 29 points as the team fought off elimination in Game 5 against Indiana with a 115-92 victory on Tuesday. He was a superb 4-for-7 from behind the arc and shot 9-for-20 overall while adding a game-high 12 rebounds to his tally. Middleton posted his third consecutive double-double in the series and also helped out on offense with five assists. The Bucks would be dead and buried without his fantastic play in the 2024 playoffs. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) battling injuries, Middleton had notched 26.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists against the Pacers.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell led his team with 28 points in Tuesday's Game 5 win over the Magic. The multi-time All-Star finally lived up to his reputation points-wise in the series, but he shot a poor 9-for-23 from the field, including 1-for-7 from outside. Mitchell also committed four of the team's 10 turnovers while picking up six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. The Cavaliers star has been off his game in the 2024 playoffs thus far, shooting below 23 percent from deep and averaging only 22.4 points. His other numbers have dropped as well compared to the regular season.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley was the hero of the night in Tuesday's 104-103 Game 5 win over Orlando. With mere seconds left in regulation, Mobley blocked Franz Wagner's layup to complete a good all-around performance. The USC product posted a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double and had four assists, two steals, and two blocks with 7-for-11 shooting. The Cavaliers needed every bit of Mobley's contributions after seeing Jarrett Allen (ribs) ruled out for the contest. He's set to have a huge role again in Game 6 on Friday if Allen can't return. Marcus Morris Sr. helped out on the frontcourt with 12 points and three rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero led the way with 39 points in Tuesday's 104-103 Game 5 loss to Cleveland. He shot 14-for-24 from the field and 4-for-7 from downtown en route to becoming the third-youngest player ever with 39-plus points in a playoff game, behind only LeBron James and Magic Johnson. Banchero's night included eight rebounds and four assists with five turnovers. The Magic star now boasts two 30-point efforts in the series and is averaging 24.8 points overall, along with 7.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Orlando will need similar numbers from him in Friday's Game 6 to survive for another day.
Orlando Magic guard/forward Gary Harris suffered a hamstring strain in Tuesday's Game 5 against Cleveland. After averaging 28 minutes in the first four games of the series, the veteran was limited to a 19-minute outing. Harris came up with a pair of blocks in the contest but didn't contribute anything else on the box score, shooting 0-for-3. Jalen Suggs went close to 40 minutes on the night with Harris out of the lineup for the fourth quarter. Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony could be looked at for bigger contributions in Friday's Game 6 if Harris is unavailable.
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson had a team-high 40 points in Tuesday's overtime loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He added six assists, three rebounds, and three steals. While Tyrese Maxey had a game-high 46 points, Brunson had another stellar performance. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough, with the series heading back to Philly for Game 6. Brunson has scored at least 39 points in each of his last three games, and he has an excellent chance to remain as dominant on Thursday night.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid had a triple-double in Tuesday's overtime win over the Knicks. Embiid's performance wasn't pretty, with the 30-year-old scoring only 19 points, by far his fewest of the series. While DFS managers appreciated his 16 rebounds, 10 assists, and four blocks, he still had nine turnovers. As usual, Embiid was favoring his knee during the contest. Although he'll likely appear on the injury report ahead of Game 6 on Thursday night, he should be on the floor. Embiid has played better at home during the series, including a 50-point showing in Game 3, meaning he has a good chance to turn things around.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 46 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, to lead his team to an overtime win over the Knicks. He added nine assists and five rebounds. On a night when Joel Embiid struggled, Maxey put the Sixers on his back to keep the series alive. The 23-year-old easily had one of the best games of his career, so he'll try to keep it going in Game 6 on Thursday night. With that in mind, Maxey has played much better on the road during this series, so he could have trouble replicating his Game 5 performance.
Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (ribs) couldn't shake off a questionable tag for Tuesday's Game 5 battle against Orlando. He suffered a right rib contusion in Game 4. There were hopes of him being available on Tuesday, but Allen was ruled out after going through a warmup. Isaac Okoro started the game in his place. Evan Mobley has a huge role to play without Allen on the Cavaliers frontcourt, with Marcus Morris Sr. and Tristan Thompson working as his backups. Allen's first chance to return comes in Friday's Game 6.
Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton (back) will be good to go for Tuesday's Game 5 against Milwaukee. He's been dealing with lower back spasms, and the team initially had him as questionable for the game, but Haliburton has been upgraded to available. The two-time All-Star will look to register his third double-double of the series on Tuesday. He's averaging 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 10.0 assists in the playoffs.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton (ankle) and guard Patrick Beverley (oblique) will play on Tuesday against Indiana. The team has upgraded both players from probable to available. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) on the shelf, the Bucks offense will lean heavily on Middleton, while Beverley will mostly fill defensive duties. The rest of Milwaukee's starting five also needs to step up for the team to avoid a fourth consecutive loss and elimination on Tuesday.
Milwaukee Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and Damian Lillard (Achilles) have both been ruled out for Tuesday's Game 5 against Indiana. They were considered doubtful for the clash and unfortunately for Milwaukee, the team won't have either available on Tuesday. Bobby Portis and Malik Beasley will likely remain among the starters. The first unit should get massive minutes in the contest as the Bucks face elimination.
Dallas Mavericks guardLuka Doncic(knee) is listed as probable going into Wednesday's Game 5 matchup with the Clippers. Doncic has a sprained right knee after tweaking it in Game 4 on Sunday. However, the 25-year-old will likely suit up in a crucial Game 5 in LA. He has averaged 29.0 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists while shooting only 38.6 percent from the field across the series' first four games.
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson (knee) has been upgraded from probable to available for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. He's ready to finish off the 76ers after being on the injury report with a right knee contusion. The Knicks star has posted 86 points and 23 assists across the last two games in the series, and he should be ready for another big performance in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd on Tuesday.