NEW ORLEANS — LeBron James posted 23 factors, 9 assists and 9 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers secured a playoff berth with a 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans within the Western Convention play-in match on Tuesday night time.
Zion Williamson had 40 factors and 11 rebounds in his NBA postseason debut. However shortly after tying the sport at 95 on a driving layup with 3:19 to go, Williamson went to the locker room, throwing a towel to the ground in disgust as he walked into the tunnel with an obvious harm.
After the sport, Pelicans coach Willie Inexperienced mentioned Williamson had “left leg soreness.”
“He’ll have some imaging on it tomorrow, and we’ll work out extra,” Inexperienced mentioned.
Quickly after Williamson exited, James hit a jumper, Anthony Davis dunked Austin Reaves‘ alley-oop lob, D’Angelo Russell hit a 3 and Davis grabbed a vital offensive rebound, after which he hit two free throws to assist the Lakers maintain off New Orleans.
Davis tallied 20 factors and 15 rebounds. Russell scored 21, hitting 5 instances from deep.
The Lakers advance to face defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets within the first spherical in a rematch of final season’s Western Convention finals, which was swept by the Nuggets. Recreation 1 is scheduled for Saturday night time.
The Pelicans on Friday will tackle the winner of Tuesday’s different West play-in sport between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings.
The Lakers went 14-of-35 from 3-point vary.
The Pelicans hit 9-of-29 from deep, and Williamson did not get plenty of assist from the Pelicans’ regular excessive scorers. Brandon Ingram missed 8 of 12 photographs and completed with 11 factors. CJ McCollum missed 11 of 15 photographs and scored 9.
Trey Murphy III put up 12 factors, hitting two 3s from past 28 toes within the second half to assist New Orleans come again to tie the rating from a deficit as massive as 18 factors.
The Lakers led 75-57 after Rui Hachimura‘s layup within the third quarter, however New Orleans obtained again within the sport by outscoring Los Angeles 19-8 through the remaining 5:31. Williamson sparked the surge with a pair of layups. Murphy pulled up for a 31-foot 3-pointer within the remaining minute of the third, and Williamson’s free throw made it 83-76 on the finish of the quarter.
The Pelicans lastly tied the rating when Williamson slammed down Jose Alvarado‘s alley-oop lob in transition to make it 93-all with 3:53 to go.
Seeking to redeem themselves for a lackluster 128-108 loss to the Lakers in Sunday’s regular-season finale, the Pelicans put collectively a promising opening quarter and took a 34-28 lead on Herbert Jones‘ 3.
That, nonetheless, was one in every of simply 4 3s — in 16 makes an attempt — that New Orleans hit within the first half. The Lakers, in the meantime, went 10-of-20 from deep through the opening two quarters, with Russell hitting three.
Los Angeles outscored New Orleans 34-16 within the second quarter, main by as many as 14 after James, who had 15 first-half factors, hit a pair of free throws to make it 58-44.
Williamson, who scored 20 first-half factors, reduce New Orleans’ halftime deficit to 10 factors with a pair of inside baskets, beginning when Ingram discovered him on a bottom reduce for a dunk. Williamson then dribbled the size of the court docket for a layup on the horn that made it 60-50.
The Related Press contributed to this story.