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."
- Celtics F Kristaps Porzingis (calf) ruled out of Game 5
- Knicks F Bojan Bogdanovic out for remainder of playoffs
- Hobbled Heat rule out rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. for Game 5
- Clippers' Kawhi Leonard ruled out for Game 5 vs. Mavericks
- Pelicans VP laments Zion injury timing, vows 'urgency' in offseason
- Celtics' Brad Stevens named NBA Executive of the Year
- Bronny James, Zach Edey among 195 early NBA draft entrees
- 76ers' Joel Embiid, Kelly Oubre Jr. miss shootaround ahead of Game 5
- Darvin Ham, Lakers expected to part ways
- Post-op could mean Wolves' coach out for Game 1
- LeBron James undecided on future after Lakers' ouster
- NBA roundup: Jamal Murray, Nuggets KO Lakers
- Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis exits Game 4 with calf injury
- Anthony Edwards gets KD's endorsement as Wolves star rises to new level
- Spurs, Pacers to play two games in Paris in 2025
- Wolves coach Chris Finch needs knee surgery after collision
- NBA roundup: Wolves finish off sweep of Suns
- Thunder’s Mark Daigneault tabbed NBA Coach of the Year
- Clippers F Kawhi Leonard ruled out of Game 4 vs. Mavericks
- Knicks C Mitchell Robinson ruled out vs. 76ers
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.
Philadelphia 76ers guard/forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (illness) will play in Game 5 against the Knicks on Tuesday. He skipped the morning shootaround due to an illness, which raised some questions regarding his availability for the contest, but the team has officially listed him as available. Oubre Jr. has shot a fantastic 46.2 percent from deep in the playoffs, but his scoring average has dropped to 12.0 points. Across 35.5 minutes of action, he's also notched 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 2.0 steals.
New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (ankle) will return to the lineup for Tuesday's Game 5 against Philadelphia. The big man missed the previous game after hurting his surgically repaired left ankle. Robinson will continue to come off the bench behind Isaiah Hartenstein. He's averaged 20.0 minutes in the postseason, recording 3.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Hartenstein is the better option for DFS managers among the Knicks bigs. He's posted 10.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in the 2024 playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (knee, migraine) has officially cleared for action ahead of Tuesday's Game 5 against the Knicks. After being listed as questionable for the contest due to knee injury recovery, Embiid also missed the morning shootaround with a migraine. However, he's set to play as Philadelphia tries to fight off elimination on Tuesday. Embiid has racked up 35.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in the series, but he has a pretty bad history in elimination games. It will be interesting to see how well he copes with the situation at Madison Square Garden.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston Celtics centerKristaps Porzingis(calf) is expected to miss several games due to a right soleus strain. With likely an extended absence for Porzingis, 37-year-old veteran center Al Horford should move into the Celtics starting lineup. Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman will also see more minutes coming off the bench in Game 5 against the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Los Angeles Clippers forwardKawhi Leonard (knee) won't play in Game 5 against the Mavs on Wednesday, according to NBA writer Marc Stein. Leonard has been dealing with inflammation in his right knee for a while. In Game 2, he was on the court for 35 minutes. However, he logged only 25 minutes in Game 3. There is no timetable on when the 32-year-old will return, meaning James HardenandPaul Georgewill need to step it up for the Clippers in Game 5.
Miami Heat point guardTerry Rozier(neck) will remain absent for Game 5 against Boston on Wednesday. The former Celtic is struggling to overcome neck spasms and has already missed 10 consecutive contests. With Rozier's extended absense Tyler Herro will continue to lead the Heat's backcourt in Game 5 after posting 19 points, four rebounds and four assists in 44 minutes during Game 4 on Monday.
Dallas Mavericks guard/forwardTim Hardaway Jr.(ankle) is ruled out for Wednesday's Game 5 with the Clippers. The 32-year-old will miss his third consecutive contest after spraining his right ankle in Game 2 of the opening-round series. Before the ankle injury, Hardaway averaged just three points and two rebounds in the series. Dante Exum, and Josh Green will likely see more playing time in Hardaway's absence.
New York Knicks guard/forwardBojan Bogdanovic(ankle) will have season-ending surgeries on his left foot and left wrist, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The veteran sharpshooter has been playing withligament damage in his left wrist, but he suffered a left foot injury during his first minute in Game 4 on Sunday against the 76ers. He averaged 16.7 minutes in the series' first three games before lasting only 1:11 on Sunday. In Game 4, Precious AchiuwaandMiles McBride were effective in helping the Knicks win. They should continue to see an uptick in minutes, especially with Bogdanovic out.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams had a fantastic all-around performance on Monday against New Orleans as the team completed a first-round sweep with a 97-89 road victory. Williams tied Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for most points in the contest with 24, grabbed eight rebounds, and tallied four assists, two steals, and one block. The 23-year-old Santa Clara product has been hugely impressive in his first postseason campaign. He's averaging a team-high 1.8 steals and also sits among the Thunder leaders with 21.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo racked up 25 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists Monday versus Boston, but his efforts weren't enough as a 102-88 loss sent Erik Spoelstra's team to the brink of elimination. Adebayo did the damage with 11-for-22 shooting. The Heat big man has gone for 20-plus points in all four games in the series, and he boasts two double-doubles, but Jimmy Butler (knee) is a huge loss to the team, and Miami needs to pull off something special to survive in Game 5 on Wednesday. Adebayo will enter the action averaging 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists for the series. Strangely, he hasn't yet registered any defensive stats this postseason.
Boston Celtics guard Derrick White led the charge in Monday's Game 4 against Miami, scoring a career-high 38 points in a 102-88 win. He nailed eight three-point bombs with 15 attempts and shot 15-for-26 overall. As usual, White also made himself useful defensively and produced Boston's only three blocks of the game. He wrapped up his line with four rebounds and three assists. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown generally grab the headlines in Boston, but White once again demonstrated how well this Celtics team is built. He's been effective throughout the series, averaging 21.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 blocks with 47 percent shooting from downtown.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum struggled with his shot in Game 4 against Miami on Monday but still produced 20 points and posted his third double-double of the 2024 postseason by grabbing 11 rebounds. Tatum added five assists in a 102-88 win, shooting 5-for-14 from the field with a 2-for-6 effort from outside. He was able to reach the 20-point plateau thanks to perfect 8-for-8 free-throw shooting. The Boston superstar tweaked his left ankle with five minutes to go in the contest, although he had no trouble finishing the game. Tatum has suffered from streaky shooting in the 2024 playoffs, but the Celtics have still grabbed a commanding 3-1 lead in the first-round series and will go out for the kill in Wednesday's Game 5.
Los Angeles Lakers forward/center Anthony Davis suffered a shoulder injury in Monday's Game 5 loss to Denver but was able to complete the game and logged 40 minutes. Davis was hurt late in the third quarter when he took a blow from behind to his left shoulder area by Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr.. He sat out the final four minutes of the quarter before playing the entire fourth as the Lakers desperately tried to remain alive in the series. Davis had another strong outing with 17 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. The nine-time All-Star will be massively disappointed with the early playoff exit, but Davis had a lot of personal success in 2023-24. He played in a career-high 76 regular-season contests, setting his new record with 12.6 rebounds and averaging 24.7 points with 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocks.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James refused to commit himself to the team for next season after suffering the earliest playoff exit of his career at the hands of the Denver Nuggets on Monday. "I'm not going to answer that," James said when asked if he considered whether Monday's game could be his last with the Lakers. James, who went out in the first round for only the second time in his 21-year-career, also said he would eventually sit down with his agent, Rich Paul, and his family to evaluate "what's best for my career." The NBA's all-time leading scorer has a player option for next season worth $51.4 million. He has until June 29 to opt into the final year of his contract or become an unrestricted free agent. Despite turning 39 in December, James continued to post strong numbers in 2023-24, averaging 25.7 points with 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.3 steals.
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was close to only the ninth 25-20-10 triple-double in NBA playoff history on Monday, finishing a 108-106 victory over the Lakers with 25 points, 20 rebounds, and nine assists. Jokic started the game slowly and had trouble handling the ball, ending up with seven turnovers, but he played a massive role in the team's success again and came very close to having his fifth postseason game with at least 25 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 dimes. He finished the contest with 12-for-21 shooting, missing four of five attempts from downtown. The Serbian superstar will now start preparing to battle the Timberwolves. Minnesota was the league's top defensive team during the regular season and has Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns to throw at Jokic, but he's averaged a 33-point triple-double in the matchup this term.
Denver Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray shook off a calf injury to produce a game-winning performance in Monday's Game 5 against the Lakers. He led all scorers with 32 points, wrapping things up with a jumper four seconds from the end to make it 108-106 and win Denver the game and series. Murray shot 13-for-28 from the field and 5-for-10 from downtown en route to his highest-scoring performance of the series. He also contributed on the offensive end with seven assists and recorded three rebounds and one steal. Despite dealing with a calf strain, Murray logged 41 minutes of action. He will now get some much-needed rest, with the Nuggets' second-round series against Minnesota not starting until Saturday. Denver's star guard is averaging 23.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in the postseason.
According to TNT's Allie LaForce, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (calf) will play on Monday night versus the Lakers. The 27-year-old was on the injury report because of a left calf strain. While the team is certainly glad to have him out there, he may not be fully healthy. However, Murray has an excellent chance to turn things around after his rough showing in Game 4, making him a viable DFS option for Game 5.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (calf) will undergo an MRI on Tuesday. The veteran suffered what the team called right calf tightness before the end of the first half, so he'd finish the night with seven points in 14 minutes. Fortunately, medical personnel don't suspect an Achilles injury. However, the ailment could be enough to keep Porzingis off the floor for Game 5, although it's still too early to speculate. But if he can't go, Al Horford should slide into the starting lineup, with Luke Kornet getting minutes behind him from off the bench.