3 Things to Know

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Darius Soriano

After a wire-to-wire win that kept their playoff hopes alive, the Lakers (1-3) are back in Denver and looking to extend their series against the Nuggets (3-1) with a win to force a Game 6. The game tips at 7:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet and nationally on TNT.

UPDATED INJURY REPORTSThe Lakers updated the status of injured forward Jarred Vanderbilt on Sunday, upgrading him to questionable with the mid-foot sprain he suffered against the Celtics back on February 1st that cost him the final 32 games of the regular season and the first four games of this series vs. Denver. The Vanderbilt news comes on the heels of Christian Wood being upgraded to available for Game 4 and no longer being on the injury report at all after knee surgery kept him out of the lineup since the All-Star break.

Wood did not play in Game 4 and even if Vanderbilt's status improves and he is upgraded for this game or next, it would be a significant hurdle for him to clear to go from not playing in two months to jumping right back into playoff basketball without missing a beat, to say nothing of being able to play at the level he was showing before being injured. That is a bridge the coaching staff will have to cross if and when he is officially cleared by the medical team, though.

The Lakers are not on the only team with updates to their injury report, however, with Jamal Murray is being listed as questionable for the game with a left calf strain for Denver. Murray could be seen grabbing at the back of his leg in the 4th quarter of Game 4, but he was able to finish the contest without any further incident.

That fact that he stayed in the game and carries a questionable (rather than doubtful) status for Game 5 implies he will give it a go. Remember, too, when these teams faced off on March 2nd, Murray was listed as questionable with an ankle issue that cost him the previous game, but he suited up against the Lakers anyway and scored 25 points and dished out 11 assists while making critical plays down the stretch.

In saying that, the Lakers had success in Game 4 involving Murray defensively by either putting him into pick-and-rolls when he was defending Austin Reaves or D'Angelo Russell or, when he would switch, posting him up with LeBron James. If Murray is not 100% physically, the Lakers could try to further test him defensively to see if they can gain an edge either in that individual matchup or by forcing help and then getting the Nuggets in rotation and force them into more difficult positions as a team.

AD'S PLAYOFF PUSHThrough four playoff games Anthony Davis is playing at an elite level, pouring in the points at an efficient level, rebounding at an exceptional rate, and anchoring the team's defense while defending the reigning Finals MVP and one of one of the best players in the world in Nikola Jokic. His per-game averages are truly eye-popping:

To put this in perspective, for the playoffs, AD is 5th in points per game, 1st in rebounds, and 1st in field goal percentage of players who take at least 10 shot attempts. Offensively, his impact has also gone beyond his individual production, operating as the primary screener in the Lakers schemes to not only help his teammates get open but to then use his roll gravity and threat of finishing as a way to occupy the Nuggets rim protection and allow his ball-handling teammates cleaner shots at the rim.

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Anthony Davis Game Highlights 04-27-24

And though he certainly has his hands full defending Jokic one-on-one (as does everybody), he is holding up well to all the banging to make Jokic's life more difficult than any other Lakers defender (Jokic is 20 of 39 shooting vs. AD and 23 of 33 vs. everyone else per the NBA's tracking data), and performing expertly in the Lakers pick-and-roll coverages to help slow down the rest of the Nuggets offense and in particular help with Jamal Murray.

It is not rare for AD to play to a high-level in the postseason, however. In fact, it is par for the course for his career. Davis has consistently raised his production in the playoffs, showing an ability to not only carry a heavier burden in terms of playing more minutes, but by consistently upping his scoring and rebounding while also shooting the ball better. Needless to say, then, Davis is living up to his own historical standard and proving why he's one of the best players in the world. Period.

GAME 5 KEYSThrough four games, the recipe for success from both teams is fairly well established. In the lone game the Lakers won, they were able to win the rebounding battle, match the Nuggets offense in the 2nd half -- and especially in the 3rd quarter, and then get good production from their guards to better distribute the scoring and allow LeBron to be more of an off-ball worker through the course of the game and close things out down the stretch in the 4th.

Additionally, in the last two games the Lakers have had great success attacking the Nuggets defensive paint, using drives, post ups, the pick-and-roll, and transition chances to score at the rim. The Lakers scored 70 and 72 points in the paint in Games 3 and 4 respectively have really been able to find the crevices in Denver's defense to use those paint attacks as the foundation of their offensive success.

Heading into Game 5, then, it is fairly clear that the team that can best protect their own defensive paint while also controlling the rebounding battle will put themselves in the best position to win the game. For the Lakers, a key ingredient to this will be limiting Aaron Gordon. In Game 3, Gordon was dominant on the offensive glass and as a slasher and cutter to get points in the paint, but in Game 4 he found much less success and was relatively quiet. If the Lakers can steer Gordon more towards the latter on Monday night, they will give their winning chances a big boost.

On the other side of the ball, Denver is sure to do their best to limit the Lakers points in the paint, particularly after Nuggets' coach Michael Malone made it such a point of emphasis in his postgame remarks following Game 4. The Lakers can and should test Denver's ability to accomplish this task by continuing to attack and playing through LeBron and AD in all the same ways they have to this point in the series. That said, the Lakers guards and perimeter players must also be prepared to take and make outside shots should Denver sell out to slow down the Lakers activity inside.

To that end, so far this series, the Lakers have only attempted 30 three-pointers one time (in Game 2) and for the series are averaging just 28 attempts a game -- a shade over four fewer attempts than the regular season. While it's clear the Lakers prefer to do their work closer to the basket, a higher volume night from beyond the arc -- especially if those shots are falling -- could give the Lakers the type of scoring boost they need to force this series back to Los Angeles.

Overall, though, this game will be as much about mentality and effort as it will tactical answers and the ongoing battle of adjustments both sides are making. The Lakers must be prepared for Denver to play their most spirited game yet and must not only match it and survive the runs the Nuggets are bound to go on, but show the resolve and focus of their own to push back and shift the game back in their favor.

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Three Things to Know: Game 5-Lakers at Nuggets 4-29-24

After suffering a tough loss at the buzzer in Game 2, the Lakers (0-2) return home with a chance to get back into the series when they face off against the Nuggets (2-0) in Thursday's pivotal Game 3. The game tips at 7:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet. Below are three keys to the contest.

WELCOME HOMEThe last time the Lakers played a home game was April 9th when the team faced off against the Golden State Warriors. In the 16 days since then, the Lakers closed the regular season with games in Memphis and New Orleans, then stayed in Louisiana for a play-in game against those same Pelicans, and then opened up their 1st round series vs. with two games against Nuggets in Denver.

Needless to say, then, the team is eager to get back in front of their home crowd and feed off the energy they can provide.

There is  good reason for this excitement, too. In the LeBron and AD era, the Lakers are 7-2 in home games that both their superstars have started and finished the game (the Lakers lost game 6 against the Suns in 2021 when AD only played five minutes). That includes a 6-2 record last season when the Lakers outscored by 97 points over those eight games and included several big performances in games that closed out opponents and allowed the Lakers to advance.

Now, on the flip side, the team that handed the Lakers those two home losses are these Nuggets in last year's WCF. The Lakers will need to get over the hump against this team in general, but specifically in this building. But, considering the level the Lakers have reached in the first two games and the leads they have been able to take, they have good reason to be confident that they can not only accomplish those same things at home, but close things out better than they did in Denver.

ABILITY TO SUSTAINAfter Monday's tough loss, the Lakers returned to their own practice court to both regroup but to also refocus on what they need to do to get back into the series. Part of that preparation involved a film session meant to look at the tape with clearer eyes than in the immediate aftermath of an emotional loss and then turn the focus on what has worked, what hasn't, and find ways to cut out the latter and do more of the former.

To that end, the Lakers can feel good about a lot of what they have done against the defending champs. The Lakers have held double-digit leads in both games and have won three of the four quarters overall and tied the other. On the flip side, the Lakers have lost both games due to individual quarters in which their execution on both sides of the ball dipped to the point Denver was able to win those periods by double figures and, thus, take control of the game.

If the Lakers are going to avoid what happened to them in the 3rd quarter of Game 1 and the 4th quarter of Game 2, they need to be better at sustaining what they're doing in the other parts of the game that is clearly working to get them their leads in the first place.

This idea of sustaining what does work is one that LeBron spoke to in Wednesday's media availability as critical to closing out these contests and getting wins.

"It's all about sustainability," LeBron said. "It doesn't matter what you can do in the first 47 and a half minutes, you got to close the game, which we didn't do, and we got to do a better job of that. Some of the things we've done over the first couple of games, we're very excited and happy about those but we have to do a better job of closing."

Being back at home, the Lakers can hope if they find themselves back in that same position of needing to hold onto the lead that some energy from the crowd can help generate some energy and foster that sustainability the team has not had so far.

ADJUSTMENTS AND COUNTERSAs playoff series move forward, teams rely more heavily on tweaks and adjustments to their game plans in order to seek out the advantage needed to get wins. In Game 2, it was Denver changing up their defensive matchups by moving Aaron Gordon onto AD and Nikola Jokic onto Rui that helped contribute to the Lakers offensive struggles in the 2nd half and gave Denver their window of opportunity to come back and ultimately win.

In Game 3, the Lakers must not only be ready for this new defensive wrinkle, but also find more ways to score against some of Denver's base sets while also being sharper defensively when both sets of starters are on the floor.

Offensively, the Lakers can continue to play through their star players, but not necessarily taking the same approach -- particularly when Denver changes their matchups. If Denver decides to defend LeBron with a smaller wing like they did down the stretch of Game 2, there is potential for the Lakers to play more through him in the post to force Denver to either single cover him with that smaller player or send help in his direction.

Similarly, if the Nuggets are okay playing their power forward on AD, the Lakers can try to play more through direct post ups in order to keep up the volume of touches for Davis and let him try to use his height and length to score over the top of the shorter Gordon. The team can also continue to use AD in ball screens, but potentially shift the ball handling responsibility to one of their guards in order to target different perimeter defenders who might not have as much success getting over screens or dealing with AD on a switch should they go that route.

Defensively, the Lakers have had a fair amount of success in targeted groups and for extended portions of both games, but their overall numbers have suffered due to some shorter, yet meaningful stretches in which Denver's ability to generate good looks and their high level of shot making bore out. Finding more ways to get the ball out of Jokic's hands and then still recover to shooters is a major key, and particularly when that shooter is Michael Porter Jr.

Over the two games of the series, Porter Jr. has made 16 of his 28 attempts from the field which includes nine of his 17 attempts from behind the arc. Denver has been doing a great job of making the extra pass to Porter Jr. when the Lakers rotate after doubling, and he's paid off those passes with made jumpers. It is easier said  than done, but the Lakers would do well to run Porter Jr. off the line more and turn him into a driver in an attempt to turn him into a playmaker instead of being a spot up shooter.

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Three Things to Know: Game 3-Lakers vs. Nuggets 4-25-24

Mike Trudell

The Lakers (0-1) have a second chance at picking up a road playoff win at Denver (1-0) with Monday evening’s Game 2 of Round 1 in the Mile High City, set to tip off at 7 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet. Below are three keys to the contest:

GLASS BATTLEWe know that the Lakers haven’t been able to get over the hump with a victory vs. Denver for nine straight games now, and certain trends help to explain why. Perhaps the most basic: the Nuggets are controlling the backboards.In those nine wins, the Nuggets are averaging 46.4 rebounds to L.A.’s 39.0. That margin is even bigger in the previous three games:April 20 (Game 1): 49-40 (15-6 offensive)March 2: 47-31 (11-6)Feb. 8: 50-39 (14-10)That’s a difference of 146 to 110, or 12 rebounds per game overall, and six offensive boards per game.“We just have to box out, put a body on their bigs. Aaron Gordon, (DeAndre Jordan), (Nikola) Jokic, just gotta get into their legs … that hurt us tonight,” said Anthony Davis. “The offensive rebounds, especially in the third quarter, late in the second, kinda just cut into the lead, and … opened up (their) lead. Especially on some big possessions where we held them to one shot and (they got) an offensive rebound. We gotta make that adjustment for Game 2.” “Just hit bodies, (but) it’s challenging at times,” said LeBron James. “Obviously Aaron Gordon does a great job of playing that dunker spot, we get caught in rotations sometimes with the smalls on him. Obviously Joker, his ability to rebound his misses or just rebound in general. It’s a big team, the got a big frontcourt with MPJ (Michael Porter Jr.) … we just gotta do a better job of getting hits and collectively rebound our defensive glass.”

When the Lakers beat the Nuggets 4-1 in the 2020 Western Conference Finals, they out-boarded them, if barely, 37.4 to 36.2. Of course, the players outside of LeBron, AD, Jokic, Murray and Michael Porter Jr. were all different, with the Lakers boasting significant additional size in the form of Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee, Markieff Morris and Kyle Kuzma.LAL don’t have that same, big, personnel this year, but if the Lakers are going to win Game 2, it may need to start on the backboards, nonetheless.

THREE-POINT GAPAnother clear edge for the Nuggets in these last nine games has been from the 3-point line, where Denver has shot 39.7%, to LAL’s 33.7%. They’ve also made 14.1 triples per game, relative to L.A.’s 9.2.In Game 1, Denver was 15 for 42 from 3 (35.7%), to L.A.’s 8 for 29 (27.6%).However, in the regular season overall, the Lakers were actually the more accurate 3-point shooting team, hitting 37.5% of their looks, to rank 8th in the NBA. Denver was one place behind in 9th, converting 37.4%. By volume, both teams made the same number of triples per game, at 11.7, which tied for 24th.Defensively, the Nuggets are a long team, and they did rank 8th on the season in 3-point % against, at 35.4%, relative to the Lakers finishing 24th by allowing 37.4% of 3’s to opponents. Nonetheless, there isn’t necessarily something that Denver does defensively that limits the Lakers from a 3-point shooting perspective.L.A. had a number of good looks in Game 1 that just didn’t go down, including many from D’Angelo Russell, L.A.’s best sniper, who converted only 1 of 9 attempts.“D-Lo is a huge reason why we're here in the first place," said Darvin Ham. "I'm not going to bail out on my player just because he's missing the shots that he normally makes. So same shots were going in againt New Orleans and other games that he's played in to help us get to this point … it just wasn't his night."Russell made 226 triples in the regular season, to rank 10th in the entire NBA. That was six more than Porter Jr.’s 220, and MPJ played 81 games to Russell’s 76. Of the top 10 3-point makers, only CJ McCollum (42.9%) shot a better percentage than Russell’s 41.5%.“I feel like sometimes the ball just don't fall," Russell noted. "I was locked in on the details and the little things just to try to stay on the floor defensively and things like that. And you look up, your shots aren't falling. So, no love lost. Can't be upset about that one. Be ready for the next one.”

DEFENDING JOKICThe game’s greatest offensive players have the ability read defenses in a way that require multiple approaches from the opposition, and Nikola Jokic is at the top of that list in today’s NBA, as LeBron has been for so many years. Before Game 1, Coach Ham was asked about how often he’d have his best – and perhaps the NBA’s best – defensive player, Davis, guard Jokic.“There are different variables that go into that,” said Ham. “The risk of fouls, gauging it and wanting to do it at the right moment. Nikola is really good at developing a rhythm against whatever defensive scheme that’s being used against him. It’s only a matter of time before he figures things out … you just want to change up your pitches.”

Here’s how Jokic fared against each Laker defender when they were the primary assignment in Game 1:Rui Hachimura: 8 of 10 FG’s, 16 points, 2 assistsLeBron James: 6 of 7 FG’s, 12 pointsAnthony Davis: 2 of 7 FG’s, 1 of 2 3’s, 5 points, 2 assistsSpencer Dinwiddie: 0 of 1 FG, 0 pointsAustin Reaves: 1 of 1 FG, 2 pointsClearly, Davis had the most success when defending Jokic. The obvious adjustment would be to increase the number of possessions that he defends the Serbian MVP. And yet, Jokic could not only be more effective against Davis 1-on-1, but Denver’s other players could find themselves with more room to operate without Davis lurking behind the play. Ham acknowledged that they have a few other looks to throw at Jokic that the Lakers didn’t use in Game 1; we’ll see what kind of impact that has against a player that’s seemingly had the answer to most schemes.

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Three Things to Know: Game 2-Lakers at Nuggets 4-22-24

After clinching the 7th seed with consecutive road wins over the Pelicans on the final day of the regular season and then in the play-in game, the Lakers open the playoffs on the road against the Nuggets a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals. The game tips off at 5:30 p.m. on ABC.

Below are three things to know ahead of the matchup.

MATCHUP OVERVIEWBefore discussing what the Lakers can do against the Nuggets now that they are facing each other in the playoffs again, it is helpful to take a look backwards at the team's recent matchups to review not only what happened, but to extract what from those games is still relevant and meaningful vs. what might be less applicable to this series.

A key talking point heading into this series will be the Nuggets eight consecutive wins vs. the Lakers over the last two-plus seasons. Those, of course, date back to last season's conference finals matchup in which the Nuggets won 4-0, but also to the three wins Denver earned this year. Of those regular season games, the first was on opening night, the second was on the night in which the Lakers unveiled Kobe Bryant's statue, and the third came back on March 2nd. The average margin of victory for the Nuggets was 10 points, with differentials of 12, eight, and then 10-points in the respective games.

It should be noted that only one of those games -- the one on March 2nd -- came with the Lakers' current starting group beginning the game (when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was out for Denver), and the others featured either substantive minutes for players who are either not currently available and/or no longer in the rotation, or had a starter missing (D'Angelo Russell missed the February 8th contest).

This is not to diminish the importance of these games. Each of those contests did follow a similar trend, with both teams having their stretches of being in control -- the Lakers led for much of the March 2nd contest -- only for the Nuggets to exert their will in crunch time of each game to firmly take control down the stretch and pull out the wins. In fact, this was a similar theme of last season's playoff series as well, with the Nuggets exhibiting a level of shot making in the game's most key moments that the Lakers were unable to slow down.

If there is a hurdle for the Lakers to clear heading into this series, then, it is to match or exceed Denver's ability to execute down the stretch and perform to a certain level in the clutch. To that end, the Lakers have been one of the better clutch teams in the league this season, boasting the highest winning percentage in clutch games (72.7%) while doing enough on both sides of the ball (8th on offense, 13th in defense) to pull out wins.

As is somewhat expected, Denver is also one of the best clutch teams in the league, not only ranking 3rd in clutch winning percentage (65.0%) but also first in clutch net rating (+24.5). So, if the Lakers are going to make headway in this matchup, it will come not only because they are able to tackle the Nuggets in the middle portions of the game, but by being about to close out the defending champs in those most critical moments down the stretch.

SIMILAR STYLESWhile the look and feel of these teams are different in many ways, their general approaches -- particularly on offense -- are built on similar philosophies.

These teams are two of the most post-centric offenses in the NBA, with the Denver ranking at the top of the league in number of post-up possessions per game (8.5) and the Lakers (7.3) ranking 4th. Whether running primary actions for their star player like Denver does with Jokic and the Lakers do with Anthony Davis or LeBron, or trying to exploit matchup advantages with secondary looks for Aaron Gordon or Rui Hachimura, both teams want to hunt advantages in the post in order to score easy baskets or draw help and then move the ball on to an open player to create an even better shot.

Not coincidentally, both teams are at or near the top of the league both in shots taken in the restricted area and points in the paint, with the Lakers ranking 4th and 2nd in those respective categories and the Nuggets ranking 3rd and 5th. Both teams not only try to leverage the post for these chances inside, but do so via drives, cuts, pick-and-rolls, and dump offs. The Lakers are also one of the best teams at getting points in transition, many of which come right at the basket via LeBron's open court stampedes to the rim, Rui's lane filling, and AD's rim runs.

And with both teams hunting out the paint as often as they do, it should come as no surprise that neither side is a high-volume three-point shooting team. Denver is 30th in threes attempted per game (31.2) and the Lakers are not far behind at 28th (31.4). That said, both teams do you make opponents pay when they do take threes,  as both rank in the top-10 for three-point field goal percentage -- the Lakers are 8th (37.7%) while the Nuggets are 10th (37.4%).

Truly, then, this series shapes up to be a matchup where both teams will try to accomplish many of the same things even if the process to get there may not be exactly the same and comes with aesthetic differences. And, with that, the side that can better excel in these specific areas while also finding ways to win on the margins will be able to get a leg up in the series.

GAME 1 KEYSAnytime these teams matchup, the focus will instantly narrow in on which sides star players can impact the game most and which team has more answers for trying to slow them down.

For the Lakers, both LeBron and AD will have major asks on both sides of the ball as primary scorers and as defensive options as primary and help defenders against Jokic. For AD, his ability to score in isolation against Jokic -- whether in the post or working more off the dribble and from the midrange -- will be important in helping to lift up the team's halfcourt offense and make Jokic work defensively.

An important aspect of AD's ability to be effective offensively could come down to playing quickly and forcing Jokic to match his athleticism in short burst movements. If Davis can effectively catch Jokic flat-footed with quick moves, it can not only get him easier shot attempts, but potentially put Jokic in position where he fouls more.

As for LeBron, he faces off against one of the better individual defenders in the league in Gordon, particularly when working against him in isolation and off the dribble. If LeBron can get his jump shot going and then find ways to still be involved in the offense off the ball by spotting up, cutting, and diving out of the screen-and-roll, he can offer strong production while also working parts of Denver's defense that could offer more cracks for him to exploit.

On the other end, the Lakers chief challenges are still dealing with Jokic, but how to deal with Jamal Murray is just as important. Murray's shot making and general ability to create good offense in isolation and out of his two-man game actions with Jokic have been huge in helping Denver win the games they have.

Slowing Murray is certainly a collective effort and will require more than just great individual performances from his own defender, but a key part of getting wins in this area could come down to when both bench units are on the floor and Gabe Vincent is matched up with Murray in the middle portions of the game. If the Lakers can find ways to better defend Murray in the parts of the game when Jokic is out, they can go a long way towards getting an advantage overall, and Vincent's ability to get over screens and stay connected at the point of attack are crucial traits towards that end.

Of course, with all the focus on the stars, a huge performance from a secondary scorer can be all the difference in winning a single game. When these teams matched up in March, Michael Porter Jr. hit all 10 of his shots from the field, including five three-pointers to help Denver get that win. If Porter Jr. or Caldwell-Pope have a big night, it can turn the game. Just like D'Angelo Russell or Austin Reaves getting it going can do the same for the Lakers. Look for both sides to try to get their secondary scorers going in the hopes of giving their side an edge.

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Three Things to Know: Game 1-Lakers at Nuggets 4-20-24

After winning in New Orleans to claim the 8th seed in their final game of the regular season, the Lakers will again face off against the Pelicans for the right to get into the playoffs as the 7th seed and a matchup with the Nuggets. The game tips off at 4:30 p.m. on TNT.

REGULAR SEASON SUMMARYThe Lakers and Pelicans faced off four times during the regular season, with the Lakers winning the series 3-1. None of the games played were particularly close, with all of the final margins being at least 16-points. Below is a tracking of all the final results:

While the Lakers' current starting lineup has boasted strong individual numbers against New Orleans, they actually only started two of the four games in the season series, with a combination of Taurean Prince, Cam Reddish, and Jarred Vanderbilt stepping into starting roles in the first two matchups of the season. Those lineups had their ups and downs, though the group with Prince and Reddish played wonderfully in the IST semifinal game in which the Lakers won big.

Considering the changes in lineups, a key driver of the Lakers overall success was the only two players who started all four games against the Pelicans: LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers superstar duo not offered strong individual production, but they did so efficiently while leading both starting and reserve lineups to winning the shifts they played. Below are both players' stats over the course of the four games:

LeBron and AD offered particular challenges for the Pelicans on both sides of the floor, who simply do not have the personnel to deal with the full variety of skills both the Lakers stars bring to the table. Both LeBron and AD proved too big or strong for the Pelicans' rangier defensive wings and bigs, and too quick or skilled for their stronger more physical defensive answers. And on the other end, both LeBron and AD had the right mix of quickness, strength, and length to disrupt their assignments on the perimeter while also being able to challenge them in the paint.

Add in the Lakers guards' and wings' ability to hit shots at the rate they did -- the Lakers hit 40.9% of their three-pointers vs. New Orleans in those four games -- and it is no wonder that they Lakers were able to control the season series to the extent they did.

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Lakers at Pelicans Game Highlights 04-14-24

STRENGTH VS. STRENGTHWhile the Lakers were able to exert advantages in the regular season matchups, a key factor in Tuesday's play-in game will almost certainly revolve around which team can do a better job in their quest to dominate the paint. Both the Pelicans and the Lakers are two of the better rim attacking teams in the league, and the side that can carry that forward best into Tuesday's game has a great chance to put themselves in position to win.

This is an even more acute point after Sunday's regular season finale in which the Lakers outscored the Pelicans 68-42 in the paint, with many of the Lakers baskets coming right at the rim via layups and dunks from LeBron, AD, and Rui Hachimura. After the game, Pelicans head coach Willie Green cited the barrage at the basket as a key to that game, and to Tuesday's.

"They played with a ton of force," Green said. "They came out right away and into that first half, they punched us right in the mouth and they kept going."

When discussing how AD and the Lakers were able to tactically get to the paint as much as they did and, once there, score so successfully, Green highlighted the team's pick-and-roll attack.

"They are really good at the pick-and-rolls, pocket pass, (Anthony) Davis getting behind the defense or catching it," Greed added. "So, it is something that we will look at on film and get back to work tomorrow. We got this team again. So, tough loss for us. We knew what the deal was, they came out, they were the aggressors. When you are the aggressive team, things go your way, and they had us on our heels all game."

Looking ahead to Tuesday's game, Green noted that his team has to "come back with the right mentality" and "be the more physical team" to force the Lakers into contested shots and then to rebound the ball after those teams miss.

On the Lakers defensive side of things, containing Zion and the rest of the Pelicans from getting to and scoring in the paint will also be major challenge. In Sunday's win, the Lakers effectively sagged off Zion to steer him towards taking jumpers or to turn him into a passer. And when Zion did drive, they did their best to contest without fouling, while understanding that he's too good to completely take away at the basket.

It is easy to imagine using this same approach again on Tuesday, while understanding that, per Coach Green, an increase in the Pelicans' own aggression and physicality to force their way to the basket and not settle for as many jumpers could be an adjustment on the horizon. With that, the Lakers must be prepared for a more focused and committed New Orleans group who will test their ability to continue to limit the paint and do so without fouling.

X-FACTORSWith both teams bringing many of the same strengths to the table, an x-factor for both sides will be who's perimeter players can most raise their respective games and which side can effectively create space for those paint attacks by connecting on three pointers.

Beyond the success LeBron and AD vs. the Pelicans, it cannot be overstated how effective both D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves has been against this team and how that effectiveness has helped fuel the big scoring outputs the Lakers have generated against the Pelicans' defense.

In those four regular season games, both Russell and Reaves averaged 21.0 points while combining to make 6.8 three-pointers a game on 14.8 attempts. Both players shot over 45% from distance, a level of shot making that, when combined with LeBron hitting a whopping 60% of his threes, was too much to handle -- especially for a defense already so compromised by the Lakers paint attacks.

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Lakers vs Pelicans Game Highlights 02-09-24

Meanwhile, on the other end, the Pelicans outside shooters also did well, but not to a level that completely compensated for the team's relatively less successful assaults on the rim. The Pelicans connected on 38.4% of their threes and got good production from CJ McCollum (42.4% on 8.3 attempts), Herb Jones (50% on five attempts), and Trey Murphy (40% on five attempts), but this was not a volume or, even at the strong rate they did hit, an accuracy, that ovewhelmed the Lakers or forced them into shifting too much of their defensive approach of taking away the paint.

With that, the team that can best leverage their outside shooting and using it as a tool to force the other team to either pay for their coverages or shift their schematic approach entirely has a great chance of taking the upper hand in this game.

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Three Things to Know: Lakers at Pelicans Play-In Game 4-16-24

After dropping consecutive games that have impacted their position in the standings, the Lakers (45-35) will try to get back on track when they face the Grizzlies (27-53) in Memphis on Friday evening. The game tips at 5:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet.

ANTHONY DAVIS PROBABLEAfter leaving Sunday's game against the Wolves with an eye injury and missing Tuesday's game against the Warriors with nausea and a headache, Anthony Davis is slated to return to the lineup in Memphis with a "probable" designation on the injury report.

Davis' absence over those seven quarters of game action only reiterated the heavy burden he carries as the team's defensive anchor and pillar of the team's offense (particularly in the post and on dives to the rim), to say nothing of the team's inability to truly replace all that he does for the team in both roles -- but particularly on defense.

In both games, Minnesota and Golden State's offenses used paint attacks to force the Lakers defense into overcompensating towards protecting the rim only to then allow a barrage of three pointers on the perimeter. The Warriors were especially successful using this style, connecting on 26 of their 41 attempts from deep, the most accurate three-point shooting night in the history of the league for a team that attempted at least 40 shots from behind the arc.

With AD back in the fold, however, the Lakers perimeter defenders can get back to being more aggressive on the perimeter, not only to better contest those threes but to try to funnel the ball towards the paint where they know Davis there to support them. Nowhere was this more evident than the last full game AD played, vs. the Cavs (April 6th) when he blocked six shots and tallied three steals, dominating the painted area defensively and to help hold down the Cavs offense for extended stretches of the game.

The hope is AD can hit the ground running vs. Memphis and then carry that forward into the season finale on Sunday in New Orleans.

A BIG NIGHT FOR THE STANDINGSWhile the Lakers' biggest priority is to take care of their own business in Memphis by beating the Grizzlies, there are other very important games happening on Friday night that can directly impact the standings and influence whether the Lakers can climb out of the 10th seed.

All four of the teams directly ahead of the Lakers in the standings are playing tonight, and in a bit of scheduling serendipity, they are all playing each other as the Warriors (9th) are hosting the Pelicans (6th) and the Kings (8th) are hosting the Suns (7th).

This guarantees that at least one team the Lakers can pass in the standings (Suns or Kings) will lose. And while the Lakers can no longer catch the Pelicans, their game in Golden State does expose the Warriors to falling back if they were to lose.

In gaming out all outcomes from all of these team's final games, there are many scenarios still in play, including the types of two, three, and even four team tiebreaks of which very few, if any, actually favor the Lakers. But, in terms of just Friday's games, the most straightforward way things could break the Lakers' way is if both the Warriors and Kings lose while the Lakers beat Memphis.

In such a scenario, the Lakers would leapfrog both teams and go from 10th to 8th while the Warriors and Kings would occupy the 9th and 10th seeds. That said, if just one of those teams loses and the Lakers win, that losing team would fall to 10th while the Lakers climb up to 9th. Of course, if neither the Kings nor the Warriors lose and the Lakers still win, the standings stay exactly the same heading into the final day of the season on Sunday.

Needless to say, then, many in and around the organization will be monitoring the results of those games very closely and seeing if things break the Lakers way to give them another chance of climbing out of 10th.

GRIZZLIES SKELETON CREWWhile the Lakers and many other teams around the league are in the thick of playoff positioning and seeding battles, the Grizzlies are on the other end of the spectrum as an already eliminated team who is managing injuries, player availability, and trying to get a look at a slew of young players who could potentially be on their roster next season.

This is reflected in the team's injury report which is a who's-who of their best-known players, none of which will be available tonight. Here is a full accounting of everyone who is out tonight for the Grizzlies:

That's 13 players listed as out, including the top eight or nine players from their projected rotation from the preseason.

With so many players unavailable, it would be easy to overlook this Grizzlies group and instead turn focus to Sunday's game against at Pelicans teams still focused on remaining in the top-six and avoiding the play-in games entirely. That, however, would be a mistake. The Lakers will need to treat this game seriously, not only to ensure a win, but to regain some of the momentum lost from the injury and illness fueled losses the team suffered in their two previous games.

Because make no mistake, as much as the standings chase matters, some of that is out of the Lakers hands. What is very much in their own control, however, is how hard and committed they play and how well they set themselves up to play their best to close out this season and carry them into the play-in games that will determine if they make the postseason at all.

In the end, that is what matters most. So, the Lakers will need to forget who is or is not available for the Grizzlies and instead turn their focus inward on themselves. And if they do that, they should not only get the result they want in this game but be as prepared as they can be for what comes next.

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Three Things to Know: Lakers at Grizzlies 4-12-24

After a loss dropped them back to the 9th in the conference, the Lakers (45-34) face off against the Warriors (43-35) in another game with major standings implications. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet and nationally on TNT.

STANDINGS RACE INTENSIFIESWhatever margin for error the Lakers had in their final handful of games went away after their loss to the Wolves on Sunday evening. Unfortunate as it was to not have LeBron for the entire game and AD for all but a quarter after taking a hit to his left eye, the Lakers needed to win that game to keep riding the wave of momentum they'd established to climb up -- and then stick in -- the standings.

Instead, dropping that game moved them back down to 9th in the conference. And with just three games remaining on their own schedule, and every one of the teams they are chasing functionally two games up in the loss column (the Kings are only one game up, but own the tiebreaker), another Lakers loss would require the teams above them to falter more than anyone could reasonably expect for the Lakers to pass them.

Below is a full picture heading into Tuesday's games:

If there is a silver lining in the Lakers needing teams above them to lose at least two games, it is the fact that those teams still do have some games against each other -- and the Lakers still have a game against the Pelicans. This guarantees one of those teams suffering at least one loss. Here are the remaining sets for each team:

Like the Lakers, all of these teams are fighting for the best seeding and will do their best to keep out of the bottom half of the play-in. But if the Lakers can handle their side of things, they can position themselves to move up.

STANDINGS STAKES VS. THE WARRIORSWhile the above lays out what the Lakers need to do to climb up out of 9th, Tuesday's game against the Warriors carries major implications to ensure they do not fall in the standings.

If the Lakers do not win this game, it would give them the same number of losses as the Warriors, allowing the Warriors to control their own destiny to climb to 9th and earn home court for the 9/10 play-in game.

If the Lakers win, however, they would separate themselves by two games in the loss column and win the tiebreaker, and with just two games remaining on the Lakers schedule after this one, the worst they could do is finish with the same record as Golden State. In this scenario, the Lakers would finish no worse than 9th.

Needless to say, then, this game has huge implications and can be thought of as a playoff game that has the ability to lock the Lakers into a position where they would at least host a play-in game as the 9th seed and still give them the chance to win a single game and get into the postseason as either the 8th or 7th seed.

LEBRON AND AD QUESTIONABLEWith so much on the line, it would be great to have as many players available as possible -- and especially both LeBron and AD. However, heading into today, both are listed as questionable with the same ailments that impacted their availability in Sunday's game.

On the positive front, after sitting out against the Wolves on the 2nd night of a back-to-back as part of the ongoing maintenance and recovery process following his knee surgery, Gabe Vincent will be available vs. the Warriors. Vincent's point of attack defense can be particularly helpful against Steph Curry and the rest of the Warriors dynamic guard core, while his shooting and ball movement on offense can help the Lakers reserve groups find their footing.

Overall, however, the Lakers will be hopeful that their superstar duo can be available, even if they are somewhat limited. The Lakers advantages against most teams are in the paint offensively, and that is especially true against a Warriors team that, despite rookie big man Trayce Jackson-Davis starting some games and getting more minutes, can still be vulnerable in the paint and on the backboards.

Further on the defensive side, AD is critical to protecting the paint and maintaining the integrity of the Lakers overall structure on that end of the floor as the rare player who can play at the level of the ball against the Warriors shooters and then recovering back to the rim to contest shots and rebound. And then LeBron is one of the smartest defensive players against the Warriors offensive schemes and his communication on the back line of the defense and in calling out their sets can help give the Lakers an edge that can be all the difference.

With that, we will wait and see if both can give it a go and give themselves the best chance to get a much-needed win.

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Three Things to Know: Lakers vs. Warriors 4-9-24

The Lakers (45-33) built upon a 5-1 road trip with an impressive 116-97 victory over Cleveland on Saturday afternoon, ahead of the second game of a back-to-back set against Minnesota (53-24) on Sunday evening. The game tips at 7:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet.

STANDINGS WATCH CONTINUESFor the first time since December, the Lakers are out of the No. 9 seed, if in a tenuous manner, since No. 9 Sacramento has the same number of losses, and the season tiebreaker:5) Dallas (47-30); 6* (vs. HOU, @ CHA, @ MIA, vs. DET, @ OKC)6) Phoenix (46-31); 7 (vs. NOP, vs. LAC, @ LAC, @ SAC, @ MIN)7) New Orleans (45-32); 8 (@ PHX, @ POR, @ SAC, @ GSW, vs. LAL)8) Lakers (45-33); 8.5 (vs. MIN, vs. GSW, @ MEM, @ NOP)9) Kings (44-33); 9 (@ BKN, @ OKC, vs. NOP, vs. PHX, vs. POR)10) Warriors (42-35); 11 (vs. UTA, @ LAL, @ POR, vs. NOP, vs. UTA)*Games back of No. 1 Minnesota

IF: LAL 4-0 THEN: SAC 4-1; NOP 4-1; PHX 3-2; DAL 1-4 LAL 3-1 SAC 3-2; NOP 3-2; PHX 2-3; DAL 0-5 LAL 2-2 SAC 2-3; NOP 2-3; PHX 1-4 

LAL 1-3 SAC 1-4; NOP 1-4; PHX 0-5 *LAL own tiebreaker over PHX, lead NOP 2-1 (April 14 H2H to decide) **DAL + SAC own tiebreaker over LAL

LAKERS GET DEFENSIVE VS. CAVSTo summarize L.A.’s season from a general standpoint: the defense was very good early while the offense lagged. Then things flipped, and the offense was carrying the day, but the defense had slipped.But in the last 10 games, nine of which have been Lakers wins, the defense is up to No. 5 in efficiency, and the offense ninth, for a net rating of 107.1, good for fifth in the league in that stretch. The defense flexed its muscles against the Cavs, with Anthony Davis posting six blocks with three steals, not to mention 13 rebounds, as he dominated a big Cleveland frontline featuring both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.We asked Darvin Ham what was working.“Being better on the ball, guys just not depending on AD to clean everything up, allowing themselves to be blown by and whatnot,” summarized the head coach. “We had some good (defensive performances) from several guys. A central focus for us was handling small-small pick and rolls better, more communicative on our (normal) screen roll coverage … and that enables AD to go out and be the great defender that he is, great player at the rim, out on the perimeter, covering up for everything, his activity, forcing people to change shots, forcing people into turnovers as well as his blocks and steals. “That’s where we have to hang our hat, our identity going forward, the way we defend. Once we get stops and hold teams to one shot, what we do offensively is through the roof, it’s hard to contain us. The defense helps the offense, when you’re able to force live-ball turnovers, hold teams to bad shots, long misses, it ignites your break and allows you to get into a good rhythm offensively.”Davis is always going to be the key on defense, but it’s nice for him to get more help from his guards.“It keeps me around the rim on the bigs where now, our guards aren’t trying to box out bigs where the other team’s bigs have an advantage,” said Davis. “When our guards are keeping the ball in front and making guys take tough twos, tough shots, it’s easy for me to stay connected, I don’t have to help as much, and now myself, LeBron, Rui can go get the rebound and get out and run.”

Up next is another good test against the West’s current No. 1 seed, Minnesota.

MINNESOTA IMPRESSIVE SANS KATWolves All-Star Karl Anthony-Towns opted for surgery on his knee in early March, leaving the rest of the NBA, and the West in particular, to wonder if the Wolves would be able to keep up the pace that had them in the Conference’s No. 1 spot for much of the year up to that point.The answer, very clearly, has been yes.In fact, the Wolves are 10-5 in their last 15 games, essentially improving even more defensively with a slight drop in their offensive production. That’s not unexpected given KAT’s skillset.Before March 6, Minnesota had an offensive efficiency of 114.6, and a defensive efficiency of 108.0 Since March 6, the offense is at 113.6, and the defense at 106.2.The biggest reason they’ve been able to tread water is the emergence of Naz Reid, perhaps the best backup big man in the NBA, and a Sixth Man of the Year favorite to many. Reid upped his production from 12.3 points per game in February to 16.4 in March, while going from 5.2 boards to 6.9. In three April games, Reid is averaging 18.7 points, 8.0 points, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 steals on 46.7% FG’s and 50.0% from 3, with 3.3 makes per game, including six against Toronto on April 3.The Lakers will need to account for Reid in much of the same ways that they did Towns back in the two narrow losses in December (118-111 and 108-106). In L.A.’s 120-109 victory in March, LAL did allow Reid to score 25 points with five made triples, but limited the rest of the Wolves quite well, including holding Anthony Edwards to 25 points on 10 of 23 FG’s. Rudy Gobert missed that game, as LeBron went for 29 points, Davis 27 and Austin Reaves 19. 