The NBA's play-in tournament begins Tuesday in the Western Conference. Who wins the Lakers-Pelicans matchup for a chance to play the defending champion Nuggets in the first round? And who avoids elimination — the Kings or Warriors? Our writers make their picks.
1. Lakers vs. Pelicans: Who wins?
Vincent Goodwill: Lakers. Whenever the Pelicans have played against the Lakers in a high-stakes game, Zion Williamson hasn’t shown up and his teammates followed suit. The Pelicans could’ve put themselves in solid playoff positioning and simply didn’t treat it with seriousness.