The LA Lakers staved off a valiant fourth-quarter rally by the New Orleans Pelicans to beat them 110-106 in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday. They punched their tickets to book a first-round Western Conference playoff clash with defending champions Denver Nuggets.
It was the LeBron James show at the Smoothie King Center as the four-time NBA champion notched up 23 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and three steals to help the Lakers secure the No. 7 seed. The 39-year-old, playing his 21st season in the NBA, will make another playoff appearance marking his 17th in the league.
This will be another shot the Purple and Gold get at Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets who swept them in the Western Conference Finals last season.
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The road to the playoffs for LA hasn’t certainly been easy. Injuries and inconsistency have plagued their roster throughout the regular season. While the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis have played a major chunk of the games despite battling injuries, LA stuttered in phases and what was supposed to be a top-six finish saw them finish a rung below after regrouping and playing their best basketball since February.
Have LA Lakers made 2024 NBA playoffs?
In one word, yes. However, a deeper run in the playoffs looks challenging given the opponents they face en route to the NBA Finals. They start their postseason campaign with a skirmish against a Nuggets team that has, in James’ words “had their number” in the regular season. They were soundly beaten 4-0 by the defending champs and will face a stern test in their first round.
In the 2020 playoffs, the Lakers had the better of the Nuggets after beating them 4-1, but were swept in the 2023 playoffs in four games. While there is no doubt that the No. 2 seed is a better team than the Purple and Gold, there’s also every reason to believe that the Lakers matchup better against Denver this time.
For starters, they play their playoff opener on Apr. 20 — and three days rest should be enough for the side to recover and plan for their opponents. The calendar is conducive as well as the games within the series are spaced out better.
If LA can manage to keep their health and get the Jarred Vanderbilt boost in the postseason, they could make things tougher for the Nuggets by capitalizing on their momentum and winning a couple of games to put them under pressure. Only time will tell if this Lakers unit can stun the Nuggets.
Do you think LeBron James and the LA Lakers will get past Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2024 playoffs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
