The Los Angeles Lakers will look to sweep their second straight road trip and win their ninth straight game when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans in a homecoming game for Anthony Davis.
This will be Davis’ first game against the Pelicans and first in New Orleans since he was traded to the Lakers at the end of the 2018-19 NBA season. Davis is expecting a less than friendly return since his trade request in the middle of last season derailed any momentum the team could’ve built.
Despite that, Davis is excited to play against his former team, calling it one of the big games for him this season. On the flip side, the Lakers will get their first glimpses of Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart since the trade. Hart has missed several games but is still probable while Lonzo Ball will not play.
Ingram has been not only the Pelicans best player but is looking like an All-Star player early on this season. Through 13 games played this season, Ingram is averaging 26.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. While it hasn’t resulted in a ton of wins for the Pelicans, he has kept them in several games.
The Pelicans and Lakers both will be relatively healthy with some exceptions. The Pelicans will likely be without Derrick Favors and will continue to be without Zion Williamson. The Lakers will still have Avery Bradley out as he’ll be re-evaluated after this game.
The Lakers will use this game to hopefully continue their extremely strong play. They’ve won eight straight games, including three straight on the road and a win against the Pelicans will make it a perfect 4-0 on the road trip — the second time they’ve done that this season.
This game will be different from their recent ones as the players playing against the Lakers have a bit more on the line than usual. The Pelicans have several players that have a point to prove against the purple and gold, and will likely be giving their absolute best because of it. The Lakers are used to getting every team’s best shot, but this will be different as it’s much more personal.
The Lakers will have to take advantage of the Pelicans bottom-four defensive rating and will try to shore things up on the defensive end themselves as they continue to slip down the rankings without Bradley.
While this should be a win on paper, there are many external factors happening in this game that could affect the outcome. The Lakers will have to stay grounded and disciplined and hopefully get their ninth win in a row.
Los Angeles Lakers (15-2) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (6-11)
6:30 P.M. PT, Nov. 27, 2019
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: Spectrum SportsNet, ESPN
Radio: 710 AM (ESPN), 1330 KWKW (Spanish)
Projected Lakers Starting Lineup:
PG: LeBron James
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Danny Green
PF: Anthony Davis
C: JaVale McGee
Key Reserves: Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard, Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo, Jared Dudley
Projected Pelicans Starting Lineup:
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: JJ Redick
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Kenrich Williams
C: Jaxson Hayes
Key Reserves: Nicolo Melli, Jahlil Okafor, E’Twaun Moore, Nickell Alexander-Walker
