LeBron James discussed LA’s win over the Pelicans and his impressive 17 assists to close out the regular season.
In a unique scenario, the Lakers will once again go head-to-head with the Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament following their 124-108 victory on the Pelicans’ home court on Sunday.
“You don’t get too high on one win because you have to come back and play again,” James told reporters. “So, we played a good game tonight but there are areas where we can improve and lessons we can learn from tonight. The game on Tuesday is a fresh start and a great opportunity for us.”
James compared playing in New Orleans twice within a few days to a Game 1 and Game 2 situation in the playoffs.
“If you win the first game, the other team has time to dwell on that loss and be extra motivated. We need to approach the next game with the same urgency we had in the previous one,” he stated.
LeBron concluded his 21st regular season on a high note with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 17 assists, emphasizing his readiness to adapt to any role on the court each night.
“I just want to win, so I’m willing to do whatever the team needs me to do, whether it’s scoring, facilitating, defending – I need to be versatile. I have to be the swiss army knife on the court, adapting to any situation,” LeBron elaborated.
Despite nearing 40 years old, LeBron noted that he feels better physically compared to the end of last season.
“At this stage of my career, being able to play over 70 games and be there for my team is a great accomplishment. Most of my missed games were due to injury or illness, so that’s a positive,” he shared.
LeBron and the Lakers successfully contained Zion Williamson to 12 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.
“He’s a dominant force, almost unstoppable. We just tried to make things difficult for him and rely on team defense to support me in that matchup,” LeBron said.
The Lakers will take on the Pelicans at 7:30PM ET on TNT on Tuesday, April 16.
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