NEW ORLEANS — The Lakers’ Sunday win over the New Orleans Pelicans secured them eighth place in the Western Conference standings and a rematch with the Pelicans on Tuesday at Smoothie King Center in the Western Conference’s 7-8 play-in tournament matchup.
But with various potential opponents on the table for their play-in game before Sunday’s game ended, the Lakers’ scouting process had to start well before they knew who they’d play.
“Now the league is a league that every team has like 18,000 coaches,” coach Darvin Ham quipped pregame. “So you give those coaches something to do. Team them up, pair them up with one another and they all attack different teams and go through scenarios or the game plan for those teams while we’re dealing with what’s directly in front of us and that process is that way with us and something that’s been very beneficial to us.
“We always have eyes on any potential matchup and so we’ve been going through that process.”
The process became easier, with Sunday’s win resembling a playoff series in the sense that the Lakers will stay put before going into “Game 2” against the Pelicans on Tuesday.
“That’s exactly [what] it feels like. You don’t get too high on one win because you gotta come back and play again. We played good ball tonight but some things we can be better at, things we can take from tonight. But at the end of the day, the game on Tuesday is a new game.”
The Lakers won the season series over the Pelicans 3-1
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With his appearance in Sunday’s game, Austin Reaves played in all 82 of the Lakers’ regular-season games.
Reaves’ games played not only marked a career-high but made him one of 17 players to appear in at least 82 games. Philadelphia 76ers guard Buddy Hield led the way with 84 games – 85 including the Lakers’ In-Season Tournament championship win over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 9 – because of a midseason trade from the Pacers to the 76ers.
If counting the Lakers’ previously mentioned win over the Pacers, which didn’t count for regular-season statistics or standings, Reaves played in 83 games since the start of the regular season. His previous career-high for regular-season games played was 64 from last season.
Davis’ appearance in Sunday’s game was his 76th of the regular season, which marked a career-high for the 12-season NBA veteran. His appearance in the In-Season Tournament championship win gives him 77 games played since the regular season started.
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He accomplished his previous career high of 75 games played for a regular season twice in back-to-back seasons with the Pelicans in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
“I just felt good this summer,” Davis said. “Felt good coming into the season. The past couple of years, injuries randomly happened that I couldn’t control. But I think for the most part this year I just … my goal is to play all 82. Obviously, I had the ankle and Achilles thing. But for the most part, I felt great this year. I felt fine.”
James’ 71 regular-season games played were his most since joining the Lakers in 2018.