The Los Angeles Lakers won against the New Orleans Pelicans, but it did very little to alleviate fans’ worries heading into the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from their loss against the Warriors. In the second of a back-to-back, they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans.
In all honesty, the Pelicans gave them a much tougher fight than expected. The Pelicans are a tanking team, with most of their key players being benched for the rest of the season.
Luka Doncic redeemed his admittedly horrible performance against the Warriors, scoring 35 points. The trio of Luka, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves combined for 92 of the Lakers’ 124 points on the night.
But despite the win and the Lakers surpassing the Nuggets to reclaim the third seed, their fans are not happy with the way their team played.
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After the win, Lakers fans took to X to share their feelings on their team’s showing. Regardless of the win, fans were not happy with how their team played.
One fan wrote, “They’re only up 16 on the Pelicans without Zion, they’re gonna have no momentum in the playoffs.”
Another bemoaned, ” The Lakers should be blowing the G-League Pelicans out.” Clearly, there is a lot of frustration among the fans.
“I’m not being hyperbolic when I say there are Pelicans sinking threes right now who I have literally never heard of,” complained one Lakers fan.
LeBron James caught some criticism, with one fan saying, “King James reduced to playing Harlem Globetrotters against Pelicans’ backups, complete with flashy passes and unnecessary showboating…”
Not everyone was as pessimistic, with one fan celebrating the big three by saying, “LeBron, Luka, and AR combined for 92 points! tonight! Unstoppable!”
“How the Lakers played tonight, particularly in the second half, is how they have to play tonight to reach their ceiling this season. We have to show consistency and do it at least once versus OKC,” said one fan who demanded better from his team.
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The Los Angeles Lakers will not have a relaxed end to the season. In their next five games, they play the Oklahoma City Thunder twice, the Mavericks, the Rockets, and the Trail Blazers.
Three of their five games were against the top two teams in the West. If the Lakers want any chance of securing the third seed, they need to win at least two of those games.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic must deliver the goods. But more importantly, they must learn to thrive together.
The Lakers are now third in the West with a 47-30 record. If they win four out of their final five games, they can secure the third seed and give themselves a genuine chance at the playoffs.
