Pelicans at Lakers
The New Orleans Pelicans hope to have standout power forward Anthony
Davis back in the lineup when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers on
Tuesday. Davis injured his back in Friday's game against the Indiana
Pacers and sat out Sunday's 114-111 overtime loss to the Los Angeles
Clippers.
The Pelicans are 0-4 when Davis sits out, and coach Alvin Gentry opted to take the cautious approach against the Clippers. "It's just a bruise and he feels good," Gentry told reporters after the club's third straight defeat. "But certain positions or certain moves that he makes, he gets a sharp pain. So it's not worth the risk of putting him out there if he's not fully read to go." The Lakers know the feeling as they held veteran Kobe Bryant (strained Achilles' tendon) out of Sunday's 86-74 loss to the Utah Jazz, and the ailment threatens to keep Bryant sidelined against the Pelicans. Rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell (ankle) could also miss a second straight game as Los Angeles seeks to halt a four-game slide.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN New Orleans, TWC SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (11-25): Point guard Jrue Holiday played a season-best 36 minutes in the loss to the Clippers and produced a season-best 29 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Holiday was on a minutes' restriction earlier this season after returning from last season's leg injury and is averaging 18.8 points over the past four games. "He has been playing great so it's not a surprise to me," Gentry said of Sunday's performance. "He didn't really shoot the ball as well as he has been shooting, but I thought he attacked the rim and did a good job of playing with force and forcing the issue."
ABOUT THE LAKERS (8-31): Los Angeles posted a season low for points in the loss to Utah and shot just 32.6 percent from the field. Guard Lou Williams was unable to come close to matching his career-best 44-point effort against Oklahoma City on Friday as he suffered through a 5-of-17 shooting night while scoring 18 points. "Like I told them after the game, I thought our effort was great," coach Byron Scott told reporters. "We played hard. We had a couple of stretches where we had wide-open shots, and they went in and came out. It just seemed to be one of those games where it seemed like there was a lid on the rim."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pelicans have won six of the past seven meetings.
2. New Orleans PG Tyreke Evans is averaging 26.5 points, seven rebounds and six assists over the last two games.
3. Los Angeles F Brandon Bass (corneal abrasion in his right eye) should be back after missing Sunday's game.