For anybody that is still clinging to the hope of obtaining the 8th seed , this game likely has finally put the nail in the coffin of that pipe dream. The Pelicans who were on a three game losing streak coming into tonight, faced off against Western Conference bottom feeders the Los Angeles Lakers. Even missing Anthony Davis the Pelicans with their “talent” should have been able to beat the Lakers. This was not the case, the Pelicans had the lead all game until the 4th quarter but continuously let the Lakers stick around. This is when Lou Williams got hot down the stretch to score 7 points en route to a Laker win, and sending the New Orleans Pelicans season into further state of embarrassment. This game was something Pelicans fans have seen all year, the Pelicans inability to finish game down the stretch. Although faulty execution in crunch time has been something Pels fan have gotten used to this year, seeing it against the lowly Lakers is discouraging. Any reminisce of last years playoff team is officially gone, it may be the same players but this is an entirely different team.
Observations:
Losing to the Lakers should finally be the needle that points in the tank direction. It is also fair to question if Alvin Gentry is already there. Earlier he commented that Anthony Davis could have played if it were a playoff game, and tonight his rotations were certainly questionable. Losing to the worst team in the Western Conference hurts now but I guess long term losses like this are the best thing. Either way playoffs should be the last thing on anyones mind this season.