The Los Angeles Lakers are still alive following a tight win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday (April 16), and now, the Lakers are in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. The game came down to the final minute, with the Lakers pulling off a 110-106 victory, even with a massive 40-point game from New Orleans star Zion Williamson.
Los Angeles Lakers Make NBA Playoffs
The Lakers’ starters were in top form on Tuesday, all scoring in double digits during the play-in game. Now, the Lakers will advance as the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed and go up against defending champion Denver Nuggets in the next playoff game. LeBron James, 39, really helped lead the team to victory, scoring 23 points and snagging nine rebounds, nine assists, three steals and two blocks for the Lakers. D’Angelo Russell had 21 points, while Anthony Davis had 20 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.
“We understood after we played the last game [against the Pelicans] that they were going to give us everything that they had – the whole kitchen sink and the tool box, and they did that,” James said during a post-game interview on the court via TNT. “It was a gritty win for us and we punched our ticket to the postseason.”
The Lakers will go up against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday (April 20) at 8:30 p.m. EST in Denver.
Before the game, there was talk that the Lakers should intentionally lose to the Pelicans and not make the NBA Playoffs. Former Lakers star Magic Johnson was totally against that idea.
“I want the Lakers to beat the Pelicans tonight to secure the #7 seed and face the Nuggets,” Johnson wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Even though the Lakers lost their four matchups against the Nuggets [in last year’s playoffs], games 2, 3, and 4 were all close!”
He added, “It’s ridiculous that I’ve been hearing people think they should intentionally lose to face the winner of the Kings-Warriors and eventually, the Thunder. As a true competitor, you should always want to win. To be the best, you have to beat the best!”
Spoken like a true champion. Johnson got his wish, and the Lakers are in the NBA playoffs.
What’s Next for the New Orleans Pelicans
Things aren’t totally over for the Pelicans, though. The team could still be in the NBA playoffs. They’ll be able to lengthen their season when they host the Sacramento Kings on Friday (April 19) at 9:30 p.m. EST. The winner will get the No. 8 seed in the West and go up against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs.
Star player Zion Williamson might be out for the game, though, as a left leg injury took him out of the game against the Lakers. According to Pelicans head coach Willie Green, Williamson will have a scan to evaluate the injury.
“It was tough to see him go down,” Green said following the game. “We’re all praying and hoping that he’s okay, but he was battling. He was going and the team was right there with him. I’m extremely proud of that group, how they fought, they hung in there. We got back in the game by just simply upping our physicality, keeping them out of our paint and being scrappy. We fell short in the end – that’s the disappointing part.”
For the teams that didn’t make the playoffs, at least they have the NBA Draft Lottery up ahead. The 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, presented by State Farm, is set for May 12 in Chicago. The teams that are a part of the lottery are the 14 teams that don’t make the NBA Playoffs. The Pistons and Wizards both have the best NBA Draft Lottery Odds, with a 14% chance at the No.1 pick.