The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Los Angeles Lakers (114-111) and made another step towards the play-in tournament.
In a close game at Crypto.com Arena, with 13 lead changes and 15 ties, no team led by more than six points in the contest.
In the end, it was New Orleans that stood tall and claimed a big road win, as LeBron James missed the game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer. The Pelicans swept the season series vs the Lakers (3-0).
CJ McCollum (32 points, 12/23 shooting, 7 rebounds, four assists) and Brandon Ingram (29 points, 10/17 shooting, 8 boards, 7 assists) combined for 61 points for the winners.
James, on the other hand, led all scorers with 38 points (13/23 shooting), 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Anthony Davis added 23 points (8/17 shooting), 12 boards and 6 assists in his return to Lakers’ lineup after missing 18 games with a right mid-foot sprain.
The Pelicans made a crucial step towards the play-in tournament, improving to 34-43 and remaining ninth in the standings. They have now won three straight and six of their last eight.
On the contrary, the Lakers dropped to 31-46 and now are a game behind 10th placed San Antonio Spurs (32-45), with five games remaining. LA is on a five-game losing skid and has lost nine of its last 11.
The 17-time NBA champions will need two more wins than the Spurs to overcome them and reach the play-in tournament. For their part, the Pelicans will need a couple more victories to clinch their play-in spot.
After a loss to the Pelicans, the Lakers are now a full game behind San Antonio, plus the tiebreaker. L.A. would need to finish two games better than the Spurs over the final five games to make the Play-In. H/T @billoram pic.twitter.com/VW8AUNVs8k — The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) April 2, 2022
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