The Los Angeles Lakers will look to bounce back when they take on the struggling New Orleans Pelicans in their upcoming NBA matchup. Currently fourth in the Western Conference, the Lakers aim to regain momentum, while the Pelicans sit near the bottom of the standings. Here’s a preview of what to expect.
Coming off a 123-116 defeat against the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers are on the second leg of a back-to-back. The loss ended their brief two-game winning streak and marked their fifth defeat in the last eight outings.
With only six games left in the regular season, J.J. Redick’s squad is fighting to secure a playoff spot. Their 46-30 record leaves them just 1.5 games ahead of the play-in tournament zone, adding urgency to every remaining contest.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans have been officially eliminated from playoff contention and are playing for pride. Their disappointing 21-55 record ranks among the league’s worst, with only three teams faring worse this season.
New Orleans enters this matchup on a five-game skid against the Lakers and is fresh off a 114-98 loss to the Clippers. The defeat was their seventh in the last ten games and their 31st road loss in 38 attempts.
Injury woes have haunted the Pelicans all season, and they’ll be without seven players for this game. Can they pull off an upset, or will the Lakers capitalize on their struggles? Stay tuned for an exciting showdown.
The New Orleans Pelicans are limping toward the end of the 2024-25 season, plagued by injuries that have sidelined key players like Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy III, and Herbert Jones. Their recent struggles reflect their depleted roster, going just 3-7 straight up (SU) and 5-4-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 games.
Their latest loss came Wednesday night in a 114-98 defeat to the LA Clippers. Despite trailing most of the game, the Pelicans managed to cover an 18-point spread. Their offense sputtered from beyond the arc, shooting a dismal 4-for-22 from three, though they dominated inside with a 74-46 edge in paint scoring. Jose Alvarado led the team with 17 points and 10 assists, while Bruce Brown added 16 points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers (46-29) were set to host the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, aiming for their third straight win. Coming off victories against the Memphis Grizzlies (134-127 as 1.5-point underdogs) and the Houston Rockets (104-98 as 4.5-point favorites), the Lakers have been grinding out wins despite inconsistent shooting. In their matchup against Houston, they shot just 39.3% from the field but locked in defensively, holding the Rockets to only 10 three-pointers. Luka Dončić, Gabe Vincent, and Dorian Finney-Smith each contributed 20 points, while LeBron James filled the stat sheet with 16 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and a pair of blocks.
As of Thursday morning, the Lakers sat third in the Western Conference, three games behind the second-place Rockets and just 2.5 games ahead of the eighth seed. Their upcoming schedule won’t be easy—they face the Oklahoma City Thunder twice in the next four days, testing their playoff positioning.
