On March 28, Beijing time, the Lakers played against the Pelicans. It's a battle of focus, with ninth in the West versus tenth in the West, and the two sides not only have to avoid being chased by spurs, but also potentially meet in the playoffs. The Lakers once led by 23 points, but the Lakers were chased in the third quarter, chased by the Pelicans, and finally the Lakers lost the game 108-116 and suffered a big reversal. James scored 39 points, 9 boards and 5 assists, hit 7 three-pointers, struggled for 41 minutes, and couldn't imagine losing like this. James' goal was tragic this time, and his James Athletic goalscored more than Malone and rose to second in history. James's career total also exceeded the 37,000-point mark, becoming the youngest Mr. 370 million at the same time, and taking in 37 youngest records from 1,000 to 37,000 points, but unfortunately this time the record was lost.
The Lakers played well in the first half, james started with a three-point streak and felt good. After James scored consecutive layups, the Lakers took a 12-0 lead. James scored consecutive points at the start, while the Pelicans chased points behind them. Wei Shao jumped and hit, and then broke through to score, Wei Shao also played well, plus Munch and others also played well, the Lakers' offense played well, and the defense against the Pelicans was also good, and the first quarter actually played quite well. The Pelicans chased points in the second quarter, chasing only 3 points. James hit a decisive three-point shot and Augustine hit a three-pointer. And James three-pointers, after the Pelicans burst into three points, James continued to win three points, and then hit a three-point shot from a long distance. Even Westbrook hit three-pointers + breakouts to score 5 points in a row. James and Westbrook both stood up and scored, and the Lakers were naturally able to pull away the point difference.
Keeping a 20-point advantage into the second half, the Lakers played well in the first half, and James even scored 25 points in the half. However, the Lakers began to collapse in the third quarter, Inggovaram led the team to chase points, James broke through to score, Westbrook also scored a layup, and James even hit 3 free throws. But Ingo scored 5 points in a row, Varan also scored on the inside, plus Murphy became a Wizard, James hit a three-point shot, and Murphy immediately responded with three points. And Murphy and CJ also hit three consecutive three-pointers, James made up the basket, and Anthony stopped bleeding with three points. Helplessly, Murphy still had three points, and then broke through 2+1, and finally hit 2 free throws. Westbrook scored on the final layup and narrowly led by four points.
The Lakers' 20-point advantage was gone, and they were immediately confused. And the Lakers did not score in the last quarter, Murphy continued to shoot, James threw and finally scored, helpless Murphy hit a three-point shot, and then Varan freed the ball and successfully overtook. James continued to break through points and CJ scored against each other. Munch also stepped up to score, but CJ and Ingo were also scoring, and Jones countered to score. Munch made a layup to stop the bleeding, but Tucker was wasting his chance. Ingo scored four straight points, Westbrook key rebounds, and Munch hit a three-pointer. However, James and others did not score three points, and Varan scored under the basket to maintain a 5-point advantage. James hit three points, CJ continued to score, and the Lakers still lost the game.
Both sides are doing their best to understand the significance of this game, which is not only about the status of the play-offs, but also about whether they can sit in the top 10. The Lakers played well in the first half, James felt hot, the outside three-point shots continued to hit, and his battle was explosive. And Wei Shao's efficiency is also good, and the two giants have a good feel. But the Lakers' defense collapsed, and if you don't defend, it's hard to hold the score. The likes of CJ and Murphy scored easily, with multiple hits from the outside. The offensive pressure on the Lakers side is all on James, and after James goes down, no one can stand up to the soaring.
This is actually the epitome of the Lakers' entire season, James played well, but their lineup is not defensive, which is why they fell out of the top eight. James feels hot, but the defensive end also needs to be refueled! There are also people like Wei Shao, who also need to defend. Unfortunately, after Davis was injured, they lacked a defensive core, and now the defense is really difficult to say, and it has even caused an unknown person to explode. Seeing the Lakers in such a state, even if they can reach the playoffs, they may not be able to beat the Pelicans, and the Pelicans still have a battle this season even if they lack Zion.