The New Orleans Pelicans will take on the LA Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena on February 9 (Thursday). This will be the third matchup between the two teams this season. The Pelicans defeated the Lakers on December 31 to tie the series. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram together scored 52 points in the win and are expected to lead the Pelicans again in the upcoming contest. The Lakers will be playing the second night of their second set in a row. James and Davis will be questionable moving forward in the game. If both superstars are not available, LA might face big trouble. Williamson is also questionable but is expected to play against the Lakers. However, the Pelicans may be without Jonas Valanciunas, who is dealing with a right calf injury.
Preview
The Pelicans opened a four-game road trip with an impressive win over the Clippers on Wednesday. Zion Williamson got off to a slow start where he only had two points in the first half and led his team to the win. He cannot afford another slow start, against the Lakers. Whether LeBron James and Anthony Davis are available or not, the Pelicans will need to perform better immediately after tip-off. Williamson will have to maintain the aggression shown against the Clippers in the match against the Lakers.
How LA performs on Friday will depend on the availability of James and Davis. If both are out, the team has proven they can win against an elite team. They did it against the Boston Celtics on January 29 and may have to do the same against New Orleans. Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell will have bigger roles if James and Davis are out.
Starting lineup
Jonas Valanciunas and Zion Williamson will be included in the starting five of the Pelicans if they are cleared to play. If not, Cody Zeller and Larry Nance Jr. could replace them. Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones and CJ McCollum will also join the starting lineup. For the Lakers, if James and Davis are cleared to play, they will be included in the starting five. If unavailable, Jackson Hayes or Christian Wood will get the nod, while Taurean Prince could fill in for James. If D’Angelo Russell remains out, Max Christie could also be included. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are the only confirmed starters for the upcoming matchup.
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Prediction
The LA Lakers have a lot of injury concerns, especially since they are on the back end of two consecutive games. Jarred Vanderbilt is unavailable, while D’Angelo Russell remains out with a foot injury. The Lakers may opt to sit one or both of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as they have been extremely cautious with them. The New Orleans Pelicans can look for consecutive wins against the Lakers when they meet again on Friday.
