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The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping the New Orleans Pelicans had themselves a nice Mardi Gras celebration as they roll into town for their second matchup of the season with the Brow and the Birds.
When the two sides first faced in October, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins combined for 49 points, 28 rebounds, 11 assists and three blocks. Unfortunately, this time around Batman will be without his Batman, as Cousins will be sidelined for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn achilles tendon in January.
The Pelicans tried to soften the blow of losing Cousins by trading their own unprotected first-round pick for sweet-shooting big man Nikola Mirotic, but they haven’t quite been the same since losing their All-Star center, dropping five of their last eight games.
Still, the Pelicans will always have a shot at winning with Davis on the floor, especially with the way he has been playing as of late. In their double overtime win against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, Davis posted 44 points, 17 rebounds, six steals and three blocks, something only he and Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo have accomplished more than once, per Elias Sports.
If the Lakers want to upset the Pelicans on the road, they’re going to have to try and contain Davis. Easier said than done.
The one advantage the Lakers do have over the Pelicans, however, is depth. Even with Lonzo Ball ruled out for Wednesday’s contest, the Lakers have enough talent—rather, more talent than the Pelicans—at each position to make life hard on the Pelicans for all 48 minutes.
Isaiah Thomas will look to build on his promising debut for the Lakers, where he tallied 22 points and six assists, while Channing Frye will hope to make his first appearance in the purple and gold.
Enjoy the game!
Time: 5: 30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet