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The LA Lakers, led by Darvin Ham, clinched their spot in the 2024 NBA playoffs on Tuesday evening with a hard-fought victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, prevailing 110-106 in the Play-In Tournament and securing the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
Their triumph now positions them for a first-round showdown against the Denver Nuggets, marking a rematch of the intense battle witnessed in last year's Western Conference Finals.
Following Tuesday night's Lakers' victorious performance, head coach Darvin Ham conveyed a resolute message to those suggesting his team should strategically avoid facing the Nuggets.
When questioned about speculation regarding intentional game losses, Ham initially appeared puzzled before dismissing the notion with a laugh:
"Insane asylum sources say."
Ham continued:
"Just someone that got out of the insane asylum."
The Lakers' win occurred despite skepticism from some quarters suggesting it might have been strategically advantageous for the Lakers to falter against the Pelicans.
Such a loss, according to doubters, would have potentially steered them clear of a rematch against the Nuggets, who decisively eliminated them from the playoffs last season.
Darvin Ham likes LA Lakers' chances against Denver Nuggets
Though the Lakers managed to transform a Play-In Tournament entry into an impressive journey to the conference finals last season, their fairy-tale run met an abrupt halt with a 4-0 sweep at the hands of Nikola Jokic and Co.
Since that decisive series, Denver has maintained their mastery over the Lakers, claiming victory in all three encounters this season with an average margin of 10 points. Despite Denver's recent dominance over the Lakers, Ham remains steadfast in his confidence that his team will be fully prepared to engage in battle:
"It’s an opportunity. And like I said, it’s back to 0-0. Obviously they’ve had a ton of success against our ball club, but there’s always a new day,"
In Game 1 of last year's series, the Lakers experimented with Rui Hachimura defending against Jokic, allowing Anthony Davis to adopt a more versatile defensive role.
However, this strategic adjustment didn't yield the desired results. Throughout the series, Jokic maintained formidable statistics, averaging 27.8 points, 14.5 rebounds and 11.8 assists while shooting at an impressive clip of 50.6% from the field and 47.1% from beyond the arc.
Jokic's dominance extended into the current season, where he continued to excel against the Lakers, boasting even higher averages of 29.3 points across their three matchups. His combination of size and skill presents a formidable challenge for any defender, including the likes of All-Defensive candidate Anthony Davis.
Guess the Lakers players!
