Lebron in command
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Lebron James closed out his 21st NBA regular season looking invigorated, formidable on both ends of the court and ready to produce in the postseason.
James had 28 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals, and the Los Angeles Lakers claimed the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 124-108 victory over New Orleans on Sunday, April 14, that dropped the Pelicans out of a coveted top-six seeding.
Anthony Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds against the team that made him the first overall NBA draft choice in 2012 to help set up a rematch on Tuesday night in the same arena in the conference play-in.
Davis, who asked out of the game in the final minutes and walked gingerly back to the locker room holding his lower back, said his back “locked up” when he was shoved from behind while in the air, but added that his ailment was “nothing concerning.”
“There’s no doubt that I’m going to play” in Tuesday’s play-in game, Davis said. “Get some massages, get some treatment, just keep it loose. Just see how I feel over the next 36 hours and be ready.”
James’ triple-double was his fifth this season and his playmaking helped spearhead a dominant performance in the paint, where Los Angeles outscored New Orleans 68-42.
“They got whatever they wanted in the paint,” Williamson said. “They dominated us in the paint.
James said he set out to “read the game and just find my teammates.”
“Just try to put the ball on time and on target for either jump shots or guys at the rim,” James added. “Just trying to be very efficient with my play.”
James also helped hold Williamson, who averages a Pelicans-leading 23 points per game, to 12 points.
Williamson, meanwhile, criticized himself for “being too passive.”
“I don’t think I was super aggressive the whole game,” he said.
Austin Reaves scored 20 points and D’angelo Russell scored 19 for the Lakers, who won eight of their final 11 regular-season games.
CJ Mccollum scored 23 for the Pelicans, who were coming off a four-game road winning streak and welcomed high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram back into the lineup, only to fall flat at home while trying to lock up a No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in.