LAKERS ESCAPE FROM NEW ORLEANS INTO THE PLAYOFFS

Well, I expected a Los Angeles Lakers win tonight, and while that happened, I did not expect the game to be as close as it was. At times tonight, I felt like I was watching the cult classic Escape from New York, as every time I thought the Lakers were about to blow the game wide open, the opposite happened.

LeBron James scored 23 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds to lead the Lakers to a 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference play-in tournament. On Tuesday night, the Lakers secured a playoff spot. Up next is a matchup with the defending NBA champs, the Denver Nuggets.

In his NBA postseason debut, Zion Williamson was sensational. He scored 40 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Pelicans. However, Williamson left the game shortly after tying it at 95 with a driving layup with 3:19 remaining. He appeared to sustain an injury and walked to the locker room in frustration, throwing a towel to the floor as he exited the court.

"Tonight we showcased what we were able to do both offensively and defensively," said LeBron James, whose team enters the NBA playoffs having won 12 of 15 games. "We've got a good group going right now, good rotation, good plan and guys are coming in ready to go."

The Pelicans "threw some heavy blows at us," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "They kept swinging. We kept fighting back.

"It revealed a lot about us and what we're made of," he added.

THE UNDERRATED LINE:
The Lakers escaped New Orleans tonight, largely because of Zion Williamson's injury, but you have to give the Lakers credit for hitting their last 12 free throws. While the Lakers found a way to hold off the charging Pelicans, they will need to play significantly better against the Denver Nuggets if they are going to have any chance of advancing to the second round of the playoffs.