Lakers vs Pelicans matchup was arguably the most anticipated NBA In-Season Tournament semifinal
The game was initially close, with New Orleans leading after a quarter and even being within three late in the second.But in the second half, the Lakers took over. A dominant 43-17 third-quarter drubbing led to a 133-89 blowout when it was all said and done. LeBron James led the way with 30 points in 23 minutes, while the Pelicans were completely helpless as the game progressed. No New Orleans starter exceeded the 13 points scored by Zion Williamson.
It might be hard to believe now, but the Lakers lost the physical portion of this game early on. They were getting outrebounded in the first quarter and didn’t overtake the Pelicans in terms of paint points until later in the game. The Lakers are built to play bully-ball. The kind of game they played on Thursday was unusual, to say the least.
Star forward Zion Williamson claimed accountability for the New Orleans Pelicans’ failure to compete in the most meaningful game of his career.
Lakers vs Pelicans – Coach Willie’s assessment
Williamson agreed with Pelicans coach Willie Green’s assessment that there was “just a lack of competitive spirit from our group” and blamed his timid play for setting the tone. Williamson finished with 13 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 turnovers in 26 minutes, during which the Pelicans were outscored by 33 points.
“Tonight was a total letdown,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We were all disappointed in our competitive spirit against the Lakers, and you got to give them credit. They came out and they dominated.”
Green cited the Lakers’ significant experience advantage as a factor. James and center Anthony Davis (16 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists) were the centerpieces of the Lakers’ run to the 2019-20 championship, the fourth title of James’ career.
“They know what it takes to be on the big stage and have big moments,” Green said. “For some of our guys, this is their first time since college being in elimination games. So we’ll take the experience, we’ll watch film on it, we’ll grow and we’ll learn. For Z in particular, it’s a moment that we can learn from. The level went up tonight, and like I said, we didn’t match their intensity.”
Williamson wasn’t as impactful as usual in the Pelicans’ in-season tournament quarterfinals win over the Sacramento Kings, either. He was held to 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting in that game. He was 6-of-8 from the floor in Thursday’s loss.
So after two exciting games in Las Vegas, we have our finalists for the league’s inaugural In-Season Tournament. After the Indiana Pacers took care of the Milwaukee Bucks in the early game, the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans squared off in the second.
Now, the Lakers prepare for a winner-take-all game on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, a team they have a bit of recent history with. They were engaged in trade rumors for most of last season involving Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, and all eight of their games over the past four seasons have been decided by double digits. With that matchup, this tournament is going to end with a bang.