After a five-game road where they went 2-3, the Los Angeles Lakers are back home to welcome the New Orleans Pelicans to the STAPLES Center in the fourth and final meeting between the two teams.
The Lakers are coming fresh off an overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Jordan Clarkson sunk a layup with less than a second to go to give the Lakers a 113-111 win. He led all scorers with 26 points, including a career-high 11 assists. Jabari Brown, whose second 10-day contract came to an end on Monday, scored a career-high 22 points, making a strong bid for him to remain on the team for the rest of the season.
Ryan Kelly, who has looked extremely comfortable as a stretch four, put in 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a career-high four blocks against Philly. Removing Kelly from the small forward position has been a smart move by Coach Byron Scott, and it has helped Kelly come out of his early season slump.
The Pelicans are on a two-game winning as they continue to push for the eighth spot in an ultra-competitive Western Conference. Currently, they stand two and a half games out of the playoff picture, making this game against L.A. a must win to keep their hopes alive.
New Orleans took care of business against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their last game. Anthony Davis led the way with 28 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals. The Pelicans shot lights out, hitting 57.3 percent of their shots and 46.2 percent from downtown en route to a blowout victory.
The Pelicans have already defeated the Lakers three times this season. The last time these two teams met up was on January 21st, the game where Kobe Bryant suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The Lakers have been absolutely dominated by Anthony Davis and the Pelicans this season, losing the three games by an average margin of 13.3 points.
Davis has averaged 25.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.0 blocks, and 1.7 steals against the Lakers this season. In addition, his team has beaten the Lakers five out of the last six times.
Kobe Bryant, who played in all three previous meetings this season, has averaged 20.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists against New Orleans. The Pelicans had no problem taking care of the Lakers with Bryant in the lineup, making Wednesday night’s matchup much easier for them.
Jeremy Lin, who has been out with an illness the last two games, may return in this game, while Carlos Boozer is questionable. For New Orleans, Ryan Anderson is listed as questionable, which is great news for them since he has been out 18 consecutive games with a knee injury. Jrue Holiday is also nearing a return but still remains without a timetable.
The Lakers are looking to improve on their 11-24 home record, while the Pelicans are hoping to secure their 15th road win and 40th overall win of the season.
The game tips off at 10:30 pm Eastern Standard Time.