The Los Angeles Lakers are in a very rough spot right now as they lost the recent match against the New Orleans Pelicans. They lost the match 116-108 after leading the game by 23 points on the night. The Purple and Gold army went into the game in the ninth position whereas the Pelicans were tenth in the Western Conference. But this defeat meant that the teams swapped positions with the Lakers dropping to tenth.
The defeat against Pelicans have shaken the Lakers camp. Their chances of even getting into the play-in tournament is now looking like a major doubt.
Former NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics and star analyst Kendrick Perkins that if Frank Vogel’s men miss the postseason then they will be the biggest disappointment in NBA history. Perkins went haywire as he was not happy with how the Lakers slipped up the game where they totally had things under control.
“Forget the titles, forget the title runs, being a title contender, forget making noise in the playoffs.” Perkins said. “If the Lakers miss the playoffs, which they have a strong possibility of doing, they could be the biggest disappointments in NBA history, period.”
The Lakers and the Pelicans played each other in a very crucial game this season. It was a clash of the two play-in teams and the defeat against the Pelicans at this point of the season only dwindled the hopes of the Lakers fans.
The Purple and Gold army lost 116-108 despite leading the game 69-49 at halftime. But the Pelicans fought their way back with a tremendous third quarter as Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans to outscore the Lakers 41-25 in the third and continued that momentum as they scored 26-14 in the final quarter to close the game out.
The win allowed the New Orleans Pelicans the tiebreaker over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans have defeated the Lakers in two matches and they will face them again for the third and final time on Friday in Los Angeles.
There are only eight games remaining and the Lakers are under a lot of pressure to win games as they try to find a way through to the playoffs via the play-in tournament. The Lakers are now holding onto the final berth in the play-ins and are only one game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs.
