The Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans have been in the news a lot of late, and none of it has to do with basketball. There will be plenty of drama surrounding this game on Wednesday night, in what feels like a must-win game for the Lakers. New Orleans beat Los Angeles by a score of 128-115 less than a week ago.
The Lakers have lost four of their last five games and have fallen to just 29-31 on the season. Los Angeles now finds itself in 11th place in the Western Conference, and three games out of a playoff spot. New Orleans has won just two of their last six games and come into this contest with a record of 27-35. The Lakers are 6.0 point favorites in this game.
Pelican Score With or Without Davis
Anthony Davis was held out of the last matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Pelicans still put up 128 points in that game. Davis leads the Pelicans with 27.6 points and 12.6 rebounds per game this season, but New Orleans still has plenty of offensive talent on this roster. New Orleans is top-five in the NBA in scoring this season, putting up 115.6 points per game this season. Look for the Pelicans to have their way against a bad Lakers defense in this game.
Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle are both averaging more than 20 points per game this season, and they have more freedom without Davis on the floor. Holiday made five three-pointers against Los Angeles on Saturday and is averaging 21.0 points and 7.9 assists per game. Randle, a former Laker, would love to have a big night and give Los Angeles another loss.
“Distracted” Lakers Need to Defend
LeBron James seems to be calling out his young Lakers teammates after every game, but maybe he should look in the mirror. LeBron has been letting the team down on defense this season, and the Lakers are giving up a ton of points. The Lakers are giving up 113.5 points per game this season, which is one of the worst averages in the league. If Los Angeles is going to make a playoff push, they must play some defense.
LeBron does lead the Lakers in nearly every offensive category, but he still needs help from his teammates. “King James” is averaging 26.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game, and has had three triple-doubles in the last six games. Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram have combined to score more than 36 points per game, but their days in LA might still be numbered. LeBron might not like playing with these young Lakers, but he needs them to help him make a playoff run.
LeBron Leads Lakers to Win
The Pelicans beat the Lakers less than a week ago, but Los Angeles will be more focused in this game. LeBron has done all of the talking he can do in the media, and it will be time for him to step up on the court. This could be an extremely high-scoring game, but “King James” won’t let his team down. Bet the Los Angeles Lakers -6.0 over the New Orleans Pelicans.
