The Lakers took 10 minutes to enter this Play-in tournament match against the Pelicans. An intensity that we expected since the start of the season, and which did not let us down. Los Angeles snatches its qualification after a wild game and will face the Nuggets in the first round of the Playoffs. It’s time to recap this love match!
Here are the full statistics!
Finally. FINALLY. The NBA offers us important matches, matches that must be played as if there was no tomorrow. And this night, between Lakers and Pelicans, even if the loser is not directly eliminated, the two teams played a crazy basketball game. Spoiler: we’re going to go all out on this recap, so you don’t miss a single thing.
At the start of the meeting, two actors stood out very clearly: Zion Williamson on one side, D’Angelo Russell on the other. The two clients take a series of winning shots, the heat check is perfectly successful. Their teams are neck and neck, but the first outing of LeBron James disrupts the game of the Lakers, who begin to chain shots as fast as they are complicated. The only one who survives is D’Lo, who offers himself the luxury of provoking Jose Alvarado and the public, one technique each but the Los Angeles leader is clearly in his opponent’s head.
D’Angelo Russell and Jose Alvarado making out pic.twitter.com/SGB8TuvFuu
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2024
It was Willie Green’s band who nevertheless took advantage of the opposing team’s shooting failures, and opened up a small gap to end the first quarter. LeBron James returns to start the second dozen, and then everything changes. The King is in the oven, in the mill, in the bakery, at the table. XXL performance in the distribution, the provocation of whistles.
LeBron s’amuse là.
Feint on Nance, foul, wink. pic.twitter.com/BFYbQi6cFA
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2024
In its wake, the Purple and Gold scored a 34-16 in the second quarter. 34-16, you read that correctly. With a disgusting selection of shots, Darvin Ham’s men began to circulate the ball perfectly, 3-point shots rained down from the hands of the whole team: Taurean Prince, Gabe Vincent, Rui Hachimura… the only one who didn’t definitely not finding his rhythm is Austin Reaves. The rest of the troop is in, it compensates for the moment, but be careful. At halftime, the Lakers had a 10-point lead. Oh yes, CJ McCollum? Invisible in the first period.
60-50 Lakers, mi-temps.
I hope you like a Nuggets – Lakers matchup in the 1st round of the Playoffs, because it’s looking pretty good at the moment.
New Orleans must react.
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2024
The striking image at the start of the second half is undoubtedly this stamp from Zion Williamson on LeBron James in percussion. Lots of courage on the part of the King, because the other one is a fridge with wings eh. Stunned a little, but it leaves without much blinking, which makes us say that these guys are all monsters.
LeBron after taking a charge from Zion pic.twitter.com/30di882zVd
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 17, 2024
Brandon Ingram has been in trouble since the Lakers increased their level of play, the shot selection is just terrible. The Angelinos have the best after returning from the locker room, the Pels are on the verge of collapse. Let us not complain about the number of free throws taken by each team: New Orleans does not provoke a fart and is content with shots without having taken the trouble to put the defense behind. The referees do not reward, logic.
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2024
But… as in the first quarter, the exit of LeBron James coincides with a strong comeback for the locals. Trey Murphy, Larry Nance and the inevitable Zion Williamson bring the Pelicans to less than ten points. Zion is at 31 points in three quarters, he is hungry. There are 12 minutes left to make the difference. The Lakers do not take advantage of Williamson’s absence on the court to make the break, and the tank from Louisiana brings his team back to 5 points almost as soon as he returns to the floor. Jose Alvarado crashes at 3 points, 2 points difference!
This SEQUENCE of Zion fucking the defense and the kick behind pic.twitter.com/JlZ4dn37f6
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2024
It’s going to be TENSE, this end of the game. The Smoothie King Center has completely woken up, PLAYOFFS atmosphere! Zion equalizes on a huge alley oop, it’s just crazy!
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2024
He is indecent, but the unthinkable happens: he injures his foot and immediately returns to the locker room. Fuck, we had undoubtedly the best performance of his career… Meanwhile, the Pelicans are holding the house thanks to the enormous Jose Alvarado but the Lakers are in front by two points with a minute to go. Larry Nance brings this down to the smallest possible margin.
Damn it’s not true… 😔😔😔 pic.twitter.com/Z7zsxuxjIR
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2024
What will largely seal the match? D’Angelo Russell’s HUGE dagger 3-pointer, chained trashtalking to the entire Pelicans bench. This one hurts a lot! Throwing game to finish, Anthony Davis kills the game. Victory for the Lakers 106-110, at the end of a sublime game, but with a frustrating end! The Pelicans will host the winner of Kings – Warriors for the last place in the Playoffs.
D’ANGELO’S SHOOT CLUTCH pic.twitter.com/3PtpfeiPKc
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2024
2024-04-17 02:11:00
#Lakers #win #Pelicans #Playoffs
