This is the Lakers’ final game before they go into the All-Star break.
Well, that game against the Blazers didn’t go so well last Monday. They hope to go into the break with some sort of momentum.
Their adversaries the day after Valentine’s Day are the New Orleans Pelicans. In their last match-up, the Pelicans were on a freefall and had lost 10 in a row. They ended up defeating the Lakers. Overall, the Pelicans have won four of five games, are 30-28, and are back up to 7th place in the West.
It felt like another game given away by the Lakers. Well, I shouldn’t say “given away”; let’s give the Pelicans credit here. But the Lakers led by 11 at halftime in that game. An errant pass by Wenyen Gabriel at the end of the third quarter turned into a huge three by Jose Alvarado. It cut the Laker lead to three and the Pelicans carried that momentum over to the fourth. The Lakers only converted two field goals in the last 6 minutes.
Well, this new crop of Lakers feel likely to splash a drought. But the question is stopping the other team. The Lakers couldn’t stop the Blazers last Monday as Portland made 17 of 23 threes in the first half.
With Zion Williamson out for the foreseeable future, Brandon Ingram is the man for the Pels. In his last five, Ingram has been averaging 30.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while having .552/.462/.875 splits (that’s field goal, three-point, and free throw percentages). He scored 35 points against the Lakers in their last match-up.
The Pelicans also have CJ McCollum but he’s questionable for Wednesday’s game. But you know him as a master of the dying art of the midrange. Trey Murphy III, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jose Alvarado all scored 18 or more against the Lakers 11 days ago. New Orleans was a top team with Zion for a reason; they have incredible depth and look dangerous when a top star is carrying them. Zion was doing it in the first half of the season and now Ingram is doing it. New Orleans is waiting for the time both players are healthy at the same time.
Anthony Davis had a disappearing act in the fourth against the Pelicans (32 of his 34 points were in the first three quarters). It’s imperative that LeBron James returns soon if they want to make the play-in but we all know he’s questionable again. Like I said, the Lakers have the firepower to keep up with every offense but what they need is stops and lots of them. The Pelicans still got it done in the paint without Zion last time (+4 edge by New Orleans).
Another important game coming up for the Lakers (and, quite frankly, the Pelicans, too). The Lakers have also lost three of their last four overall. Let’s see if the Lakers give it to the Pelicans as the Pelicans gave it to them on Feb. 4th.
