LeBron James has spoken about LA’s victory over the Pelicans and his monster 17 assists to end the regular season.
In a fairly unique situation, the Lakers will face the Pelicans again in the Play-In Tournament, after beating them 124-108 on NOLA’s home court on Sunday.
“You don’t get too high on one win because you got to come back and play again,” James told reporters. “So, we played good ball tonight but some things we can be better at, some things we can take from tonight. But at the end of the day, the game on Tuesday is a new game and it’s a good opportunity for us.”
James says playing twice in New Orleans in a matter of days feels like a Game 1 and Game 2 situation in the playoffs.
“If you win that first game the other team has multiple days to sit on that feeling, still got that taste in your mouth of defeat, so they’re gonna be extremely ready for us and we have to come in with the same sense or urgency we had in the previous game,” he said.
LeBron finished his 21st regular season on a high by totalling 28 points, 11 rebounds and 17 assists and explained how he has to be ready to take on whatever role presents itself on the floor on any given night.
“I just want to win, so whatever the game presents itself for me to be, for me to be ore attacking, long range or for me to be more set up guy, be more of a defender – gotta do it all. I am swiss army knife, so I gotta do it all the floor, but none of it is pre-determined,” LeBron explained.
At almost 40 years of age, LeBron admitted that he’s feeling “better than he did at the end of the season last season” injury-wise.
“At this point in my career to be able to play 70-plus games and to be available for my guys. I think only a couple of them..a few of them was because of injury or illness, being sick, so that’s pretty cool.”
LeBron and the Lakers managed to limit Pels forward Zion Williamson to 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
“I mean, he’s a beast, its almost impossible to stop him. So, just try to keep a body on him, just try to make it tough on him. But he’s a great player man, so the best thing is that I have help behind me and always communicating throughout that matchup.”
The Lakers will face the Pelicans at 7:30PM ET on TNT on Tuesday, April 16.
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