2024 Play-In Tournament (West): #7 New Orleans Pelicans vs #8 Los Angeles Lakers

[Mrakar]

Best case scenario for both teams: lose 7-8 game and win next one. (Lakers matchup great vs OKC. Pels are still loosing that series but at least fans will be pumped before it starts)
Worst case scenario for both teams: lose 7-8 game and then lose 8-9 game.

Most likley scenario: Lakers win first one, they dont feel that great about it. Pels lose, and then lose against Warriors again.

[durden_tyler]

Game is a toss up too, per Vegas odds.

Poor Pelicans, from guaranteed playoff spot to possibly getting ousted by the Warriors.

Surprised to see even odds given what occurred today. Obviously it’ll be a different matchup on Tuesday and LA can’t possibly play that well and NO can’t possibly play that poorly again. But still that didn’t seem like two teams who belonged on the same floor together, plus Vegas loves giving the Lakers extra points to get bets on them.

Maybe AD uncertainty?

Yes, after the Pelicans beating today and LA’s dominance over NO this year and recent years, i would have thought it would at least be Lakers -3. Then again, Vegas rarely overreacts and does not change the lines too often so this is still a “confusing” line so to speak and that balances the action.

Methinks the Pels play way better and this would be a close game. Not entirely sure if they can pull it off though…

[PlatinumState]

Pels got this

[Marrrcuss]

It's probably more likely that the Lakers could get a key injury and have zero chance

Then Lakers lose anyway. Point is that Lakers need full health to win a championship regardless, they also need some injury to Denver to get past them IMO. So playing them later in the playoffs is better.

Vando and Wood aren't making a difference, not with the ramp up needed to get them playing at an acceptable playoff level.

An extra month isn't going to change the rotation now.

We're lucky we even got Vincent back.

Agreed. I was hoping we had that very active Vando back that we paid $51 million for. He is a difference maker on defense.

[ChipotleWest]

How many more free throws will the refs gift the Lakers to make sure Pelicans lose?

[jbk1234]

The Lakers are really an awful matchup for the Pelicans. LBJ is more of a stretch 4 than SF these days and the Pelicans frontcourt defense has been an issue all season.

[Marrrcuss]

How many more free throws will the refs gift the Lakers to make sure Pelicans lose?

#copingmechanism

[TinmanZBoy]

Pelicans… they will adjust… lakers win two in roll in new orlean is unlikely

[Blazing_royale]

Looking forward to seeing playoff Zion

[NO-KG-AI]

Pels look scared of the Lakers and even worse, scared of their own home crowd.

Lakers are 6-4 against the Pels in their last 10, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.

I guess nothing would surprise me at this point, but it doesn’t feel great going into it.

[Jadoogar]

It's hard to beat a good team 2 times in a row. That said, Pelicans just don't look like they have an answer for the Lakers. I think Lakers take it.

[Homer38]

Pels look scared of the Lakers and even worse, scared of their own home crowd.

Lakers are 6-4 against the Pels in their last 10, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.

I guess nothing would surprise me at this point, but it doesn’t feel great going into it.

The Lakers are also 6-2 against the Pelicans since last year and Zion struggles big time to score when LBJ is his defender

But anything can happen in one game

[KrAzY3]

Zion in terms of talent should be somewhere between Shaq and Barkley, in reality he's somewhere between Barkley and a cheeseburger. His last game against the Lakers was pathetic.

[rockmanslim]

Offensively, Willie Green needs to figure out ways to get AD to switch onto Zion, because that's way better for Zion than the alternative of AD just waiting for him at the rim.

Helpside length waiting for Zion at the rim has always been his kryptonite.

[Special_Puppy]

Is Pelicans at +6500 to win the championship too low? They were the 5th best regular-season team this year!

[levon]

I am a conspiracy theorist. The Broadcasters make millions more money LeBron and the Lakers get a playoff series. Broadcaster money eventually translates into money for the league. The commissioner could let the Pelicans win because the League gets a 2nd chance to get the Lakers into the Playoffs by having the Lakers beat the Winner of Warriors Kings. I do not think the commissioner will take any chances. I think the Commissioner will order the refs to rig the game for the Lakers to win which would lead to a highly rated Lakers Nuggets series.

I do think the Pelicans are the better team but not so much better that the refs will have a problem making sure that the Lakers win.

Where can I place a bet of freethrow differential?

The Lakers beat the doors off of NO with just a +4 free throw differential, which was honestly depressed given how many continuations the refs wiped off.

Here's a conspiracy theory for you: the Lakers' value is actually depressed during the regular season because of teambuilding quirks and a below average coach and they're actually one of the best teams in the league in high-level basketball games because they employ the best player of all time and a top 3 defender in the league, who are superstars at the 4 and 5, a combination which no other team has.

Spread the word to the lemmings.

[Clemenza]

Will the Pels show up for this game is the question?

[dakomish23]

NOP is a really good team. I just think AD will be the best player in the series & usually that translates to series W

[Mrakar]

Will the Pels show up for this game is the question?

No, is the answer.

[Mrakar]

Pels look scared of the Lakers and even worse, scared of their own home crowd.

Lakers are 6-4 against the Pels in their last 10, but it sure doesn’t feel like it.

I guess nothing would surprise me at this point, but it doesn’t feel great going into it.

Somehow Pels are worse in front of their own crowd this year. I can'y really understand it but it has to do something with mindset.



CJ had 2 hot games which made him start this one with some awfull shots as per usual, and he hit them at better rate then i would expect him to. Ingram also hit some though shots on the start. That part can only get worse.
However this team goes as far as Zion can get them and if he gets scholed by LeBron once again, its game over. Pels have to find a way to get Lebron of him. Problem is that will not happen with lazy ghost screens, Lakers are too smart to switch on that.

Also if Willie plans to play Valanciunas 7 minutes again, it is better to not start him, and let him cook vs 2nd unit.

If somehow Kings beat the Warriors(which i dont expect, but if it happens) i just hope Willie doesn't play Nance 40 minutes and Jonas 8. Jonas is always great against Kings, probably bcs of that Lithuanian matchup. Nance was out bcs of personal reasons thats why Willie played Jonas so much, i just hope he understands that Jonas has to play if we get to that matchup.