New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Lakers 2/25/20: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Daily Fantasy
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New Orleans Pelicans at Los Angeles Lakers Preview
Tonight at Staples Center, the Los Angeles Lakers will host the New Orleans Pelicans in what could potentially be a first-round playoff preview if the Pelicans keep trending in the direction they have been in. It will be the first time rookie sensation Zion Williamson faces LeBron, AD, and the Lakers.
The Lakers have won five straight and are 7-3 in their last 10 games, including a huge win over Boston on Sunday. They are in first place in the Western Conference with a 43-12 record and are 20-7 at home. The Pelicans have moved ahead of the Spurs for 10th place in the West with a 25-32 record. The Pels have lost their last two games and are 7-3 in their last 10. On the road, they are 14-15 this season.
This is the third matchup between the Lakers and Pelicans this season. In the last matchup in January, Anthony Davis had 46 points and 13 rebounds. Lonzo Ball paced the Pelicans with 23 points.
TV Schedule
Date: 2/25/20
Time: 10 PM ET
Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Channel: TNT
Injuries
Pelicans: Kenrich Williams, Darius Miller (O)
Lakers: Anthony Davis (P), Markieff Morris (DTD)
New Orleans Pelicans Starting Lineup
PG: Lonzo Ball
SG: Jrue Holiday
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Zion Williamson
C: Derrick Favors
Pelicans Analysis
The Pelicans have been on a bit of a tear lately, and aside from a close 123-118 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, they’ve had a great February.
On Sunday, the Pelicans had to dig themselves out of a hole after the Warriors scored 56 first-half points against them, but they used some motivation from their rookie big man to not only get themselves out of the hole but then run all over the Warriors in the second half on their way to a 115-101 win.
“He basically just said, ‘Hey, let’s go, we gotta play the way we are capable of playing. We have to some kinda way establish some consistency on how we are going to push the play and how we play,'” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told NBA.com. “He isn’t your typical 19-year-old. He’s a very mature kid, very respectful of his teammates, and they are respectful to him as well.
“He is all about winning, just winning.”
Williamson had 28 points and seven rebounds and Jrue Holiday finished with 23 points and 15 assists as Lonzo Ball struggled offensively. Brandon Ingram added 17 points and Nicolo Meli had a big 20 points off the bench.
Pelicans Quick Links: Pelicans Starting Lineup, Pelicans Roster, Pelicans Depth Chart, Pelicans Injuries, Pelicans News, Pelicans Schedule
Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup
PG: Avery Bradey
SG: Danny Green
SF: LeBron James
PF: Anthony Davis
C: JaVale McGee
Lakers Analysis
The Los Angeles Lakers won their fifth straight on Sunday night in an all-out interconference battle with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics had to overcome a big game by Jayson Tatum to get the win 114-112.
“Every game is its own challenge, and we knew this was going to be a playoff-type of atmosphere today,” LeBron James said. “One, because of the rivalry. Two, because of how well they played against us in Boston. They beat the hell out of us there. And then three, just the simple fact that two teams that have aspirations of holding that trophy up at the end of the season.
“We knew what we getting ourselves into, and they knew what they were getting themselves into, and it was a great game for both teams.”
Like he has been all season, Anthony Davis was huge for the Lakers, finishing with 32 points and 13 rebounds. James had a near triple-double with 29 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.
Kyle Kuzma has continued to battle with consistency, but he had a solid game with 16 points off the bench.
Lakers Quick Links: Lakers Starting Lineup, Lakers Roster, Lakers Depth Chart, Lakers Injuries, Lakers News, Lakers Schedule
Key Player Matchups
Zion Williamson vs. Anthony Davis
Davis has had a field day with New Orleans’ bigs in two games so far this season, but it will be the first time he faces off against rookie Zion Williamson. As great as Zion has looked, Davis has the edge here and Zion will have to prove he can stand in with one of the best bigs in the game.
Brandon Ingram vs. LeBron James
Former teammates square off tonight as Brandon Ingram takes on LeBron James. James choosing to become a distributor has paid dividends for the Lakers, and Ingram has proven to be a much more legit player than most people expected early in his career. He’s a Most Improved Player candidate and is a big reason they are in a position to fight for playoff position.
Daily Fantasy
Davis has absolutely destroyed his former team this season, averaging 43.5 points and 11 rebounds per game in their two games against the Lakers this season. That likely figures into his 51.9 point projection. Davis is available for $10.6k on FanDuel.
In terms of value plays, Brandon Ingram is a great option here. He provides incredible value for his $7.5k salary and he is projected for 36.1 points tonight.
Bet on Matchup
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