Full NBA Play-In Tournament schedule, preview, and predictions
By Ben Handler
8. Los Angeles Lakers @ 7. New Orleans Pelicans - Tuesday, April 16th, 7:30 PM EST - TNT
The first game of the tournament is one of the biggest, featuring some of the league’s brightest stars. It’s also the game that will determine the first-round playoff opponent for the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers, led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis have finished the season with a bang, climbing all the way up to eighth - which looked unlikely for much of the season. They’ve played their best ball down the stretch and everybody knows what this team is capable of at their best.
The Pelicans have had a really good year and frankly finishing in the play-in is a bit of a disappointment. Brandon Ingram finally returned from injury on Sunday to join his co-star Zion Williamson. This team can look incredible at times, but two of their worst performances of the season came at the hands of this Lakers squad - including Sunday’s regular-season finale.
The Pels may have a higher ceiling for one game, but the Lakers are clearly the more dangerous team to make a run. They have the pedigree and the veterans who have done it before. The Pels are green, and many of their key players have never won a playoff series.
Despite the Nuggets’ recent success against the Lakers, it’s hard to imagine the Pels wouldn’t offer a less taxing playoff matchup. I think Denver fans would be happy to avoid the Lakers and having to face two All-NBA players plus three referees in a seven-game series.
I think if the Lakers are truly motivated to win this game they will, but there’s a part of me that believes they’d LOVE to avoid the Nuggets. Would they dare tank a play-in game for a better matchup? It’s a crazy thought, but I actually think they are crazy enough to do it. More on this matchup from me on Tuesday.