Los Angeles Lakers knew they would need a victory in their regular season finale in order to go on to the NBA playoffs’ first round.
LeBron James made sure Los Angeles ended up as the eighth seed. With 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 17 assists, the King finished with a triple-double. Anthony Davis added 30 points and 11 rebounds to help the Lakers defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 124-108 on the road.
The two teams will play again in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Tuesday in New Orleans as a result of L.A.’s victory, which places them as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. In the opening round of the playoffs, the victor of that matchup will play the Denver Nuggets, the reigning champions.
The Lakers dominated from the first tip and jumped out to an early lead, leading 70–53 at the break. Despite the fact that James and Davis took the lead, L.A. received some much-needed supporting scoring. Guard D’Angelo Russell added 19 points, and Austin Reaves ended with 20 points.
The western postseason matches have been finalized. In the Play-In Tournament’s clash between the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds, the Sacramento Kings will host the Golden State Warriors. In order to proceed to the playoffs as the eighth seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, the winner of that game will face the loser of the Los Angeles vs. New Orleans contest.