Pelicans at Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers might not be making some of the people in the front office very happy, but they are starting to look like they have a future. The Lakers will aim for their fifth consecutive win when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday.
Los Angeles is trying to angle for draft position and the recent win streak has them with the third-worst record in the league. The Lakers are one game ahead of the Phoenix Suns in the standings and are trying to maximize the odds that they land in the top three of the NBA draft lottery, because any result outside of the top three means their first-round pick goes to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Pelicans are aiming for a top three pick as well, because any selection after that heads to the Sacramento Kings as part of the deal that brought DeMarcus Cousins over during the All-Star break. New Orleans dropped its last four games while surrendering an average of 124 points, and Cousins (Achilles) and star power forward Anthony Davis (knee) are both day-to-day.
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, FSN New Orleans, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE PELICANS (33-47): Davis and Cousins resting nagging injuries opens up shots for some of the other players on the roster, and rookie point guard Quinn Cook took advantage by scoring a season-high 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Saturday's 123-101 loss at Golden State. "I thought he played solid," coach Alvin Gentry told reporters of Cook. "I thought he was really good, as a matter of fact. He did a good job of running the team. He was really solid in his shot selection and his decision-making, so I thought he was pretty good." Cook averaged 26 minutes in the last two games after totaling 12 in his first nine games on the roster.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (25-55): Los Angeles has not won five in a row since closing the 2012-13 with five straight victories, and they made it four in a row with D'Angelo Russell's game-winning 3-pointer in a 110-109 triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Russell, who played after learning of his grandmother's death, finished with 16 points in 34 minutes. "I knew that’s what my grandma would have wanted," Russell told reporters of the decision to play. "My dad, brothers and everyone wanted me to play. I wanted to get away from basketball. I didn’t want to express myself through basketball, but it was (the) only option I had and I tried to take advantage of it."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pelicans SG Jordan Crawford is averaging 20.5 points on 18-of-32 shooting in the last two games.
2. Lakers PF Larry Nance Jr. is averaging 11 rebounds over the last four games.
3. New Orleans took two of the first three meetings this season, including a 105-97 triumph in Los Angeles on March 5.