The seven seed New Orleans Pelicans take on the eight seed Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Play-In Tournament tonight. The winner will hop on a plane to Denver to begin their first round series against the Nuggets on Saturday.
The Pelicans have dropped three out of four games to the Lakers this season, and the matchup is concerning for New Orleans. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are as good of a duo as any team in the NBA and the Pelicans have struggled to contain the two superstars.
The teams matched up on the final day of the NBA regular season with the Lakers coming away with a dominant 124-108 victory. LeBron James set a career high for assists in a half dropping 13 dimes before halftime, and Davis scored a game high 30 points while pulling down 11 rebounds.
Anthony Davis left Sunday's game with a back injury and his status for tonight's Play-In game is up in the air. Here is tonight's injury report.
New Orleans Pelicans
Injuries: None
Los Angeles Lakers
Injuries:
OUT - Jarred Vanderbilt (Foot), Christian Wood (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE - Anthony Davis (Back)
PROBABLE - LeBron James (Ankle)
Davis originally claimed that he would "no doubt" be suiting up for Tuesday's matchup, but his game status has been downgraded leading up to tip-off. The All-Star big man's absence would leave a massive hole in the middle of the Lakers defense, one that Zion Williamson would be happy to attack.
Stay tuned to reports leading up to game time to see if Anthony Davis will suit up on Tuesday night.