Summary
The Los Angeles Lakers clinched the seventh seed in the West with a win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets are the No. 2 seed and have won eight straight against L.A. The Lakers' frontcourt of Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and LeBron James is a massive advantage against most teams. That's not the case against the Nuggets, who also boast three frontcourt starters 6-8 or taller. The bigger the opponent, the worse the Lakers have fared this season. L.A. Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The teams have met three times in the last four seasons, with the Lakers winning twice. The Lakers have won the last two meetings, but the Nuggets have won one. Russell hit five 3s in Tuesday's win, including the clincher in the final minute to secure the No. 7 seed. James, meanwhile, is coming off his most regular season games as a Laker despite being in his 21st season.
