Update: The Lakers are now 3-0 in play-in tournament games, winning Tuesday against the Pelicans to secure the No. 7 seed in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. They’ll meet the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals.
The NBA play-in tournament will begin on Tuesday with the 7-8 game in the Western Conference as the New Orleans Pelicans play host to the Los Angeles Lakers. The winner will advance to the West playoff bracket to face the Denver Nuggets as the No. 7 seed, while the loser will face the the 9-10 winner for the No. 8 seed on Friday.
Los Angeles has become a regular play-in tournament participant since the format was introduced in 2021, and has handled its business with a 2-0 record. In 2021, the Lakers edged the Golden State Warriors 103-100 as a LeBron James three with 58.2 seconds left proved to be the difference. That team would go on to lose to the eventual Western Conference champions Phoenix Suns in six games in the first round.
In 2023, the Lakers were able to survive a 108-102 overtime thriller against the Minnesota Timberwolves to once again claim the No. 7 seed. The team was then able to make a run to the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the eventual champions Nuggets.