By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers got the most crucial win of the season so far and advance to face defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the first round in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals, which was swept by the Nuggets.
LeBron had 23 points, 9 assists and 9 rebounds, and the Lakers secured a playoff berth with a 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference play-in tournament.
Zion Williamson had 40 points and 11 rebounds in his NBA postseason debut but with 3:19 to go, he was injured and left for the locker rooms, throwing a towel to the floor. Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas scored four points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Pelicans on Friday will take on the Sacramento Kings who beat the Warriors 118-94.
Lithuanian star Domantas Sabonis flirted with the triple double with 16 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, while Kegan Murray with 32 points and 8/13 threes was the top scorer.
However, Keon Ellis with 15 points and excellent defense even on Steph Curry made the different. Curry scored 22 points for the losing side, while Bulgarian forward Sasha Vezenkov had one rebounds for the Kings in garbage time.