LeBron James and the Lakers beat Pelicans in play-in, earn a playoff rematch with Denver Nuggets

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — LeBron James, Anthony Davis and their supporting cast have the Los Angeles Lakers looking like a tougher out in the playoffs than they appeared to be just a few weeks earlier.

The New Orleans Pelicans, meanwhile, find themselves on the brink of elimination and wondering about the health of star power forward Zion Williamson, whose dominant NBA postseason debut was cut short by an injury in the final minutes of a tight game.

James had 23 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, and the Lakers secured a playoff berth with a 110-106 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in the Western Conference play-in tournament on Tuesday night.

“Tonight we showcased what we were able to do both offensively and defensively," said James, whose team enters the NBA playoffs having won 12 of 15 games. “We’ve got a good group going right now, good rotation, good plan and guys are coming in ready to go.”

Williamson had 40 points and 11 rebounds in his NBA postseason debut. But shortly after tying the game at 95 on a driving layup with 3:19 to go, Williamson went to the locker room, throwing a towel to the floor in disgust as he walked into the tunnel with an apparent injury.

After the game, Pelicans coach Willie Green said Williamson had “left leg soreness.”

“He’s going to have some imaging on it tomorrow and we’ll figure out more,” Green said.

Soon after Williamson went out, James hit a jumper, Davis dunked Austin Reaves' alley-oop lob, DeAngelo Russell hit a 3 and Davis grabbed a crucial offensive rebound, after which he hit two free throws to help the Lakers hold on.

The Pelicans “threw some heavy blows at us,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “They kept swinging. We kept fighting back.

“It revealed a lot about us and what we’re made of,” he added.

Davis finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Russell scored 21, hitting five times from deep. James was 10 of 10 on free throws and Davis 8 of 10.

The Lakers advance to face defending NBA champion Denver in the first round in a rematch of last season's Western Conference finals, which was swept by the Nuggets. Game 1 is Saturday night.

The Pelicans will take on the winner of the other West play-in game between Golden State and Sacramento on Friday.

“Obviously a tough loss for us,” said Green, whose team could have clinched the sixth seed in the NBA playoffs on Sunday, but lost at home to the Lakers, 124-108, setting up Tuesday night's rematch in the play-in. “We've got to feel this one tonight and regroup and get ready for another one.”

Williamson, Green said, was “fantastic.”

“He settled into the game. He just continued to attack. He found seams. He rebounded the ball. He played fast,” Green continued. “(If) we have him for a few more minutes, maybe we have a chance to pull this thing out.”

The Lakers went 14 of 35 from 3-point range. The Pelicans hit 9 of 29 from deep and Williamson didn't get a lot of help from the Pelicans' usual high scorers. Brandon Ingram — in his second game back from a 12-game absence because of a knee injury — missed 8 of 12 shots and finished with 11 points after spending the final few minutes on the bench.

“I just like the group that was on the floor at that time,” Green said. “BI is still getting back, he's still finding his rhythm. So, I didn't want to force the issue.”

CJ McCollum missed 11 of 15 shots and scored nine.

Trey Murphy III scored 12, hitting two 3s from beyond 28 feet in the second half to help New Orleans come back to tie it from a second-half deficit as large as 18 points.

The Lakers led 75-57 after Rui Hachimura's layup in the third quarter. But New Orleans got back in the game by outscoring Los Angeles 19-8 during the final 5:31 of the period.

Williamson sparked the surge with a pair of layups. Murphy pulled up for a 31-foot 3-pointer in the final minute of the quarter and Williamson's free throw made it 83-76 at the end of the period.

The Pelicans finally tied it when Williamson slammed down Jose Alvarado’s alley-oop lob in transition to make it 93-all with 3:53 to go.

Looking to redeem themselves for a lackluster loss to the Lakers on Sunday, the Pelicans put together a promising opening quarter and took a 34-28 lead on Herb Jones' 3.

Los Angeles surged into the lead by outscoring New Orleans 34-16 in the second quarter, leading by as many as 14 after James, who had 15 first half points, hit two free throws to make it 58-44.

In the final seconds of the half, Williamson sprinted nearly the length of the court on the dribble for floating layup at the horn that made it 60-50.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis and forward Taurean Prince in the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots between New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III and guard CJ McCollum in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis and forward Taurean Prince in the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) slam dunks over Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) drives to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) acknowledges fans as he leaves the court after an NBA basketball play-in tournament game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket ahead of Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. The Lakers won 110-106. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) goes to the basket between Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura and forward Anthony Davis (3) in the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) pulls down a rebound against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Spencer Dinwiddie (26) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans forward Herbert Jones in the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) in the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) goes to the basket in the first half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Aleksander Barkov remembers the disappointment of years past.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had eliminated his Florida Panthers from the NHL playoffs in each of their previous three meetings, and if the Panthers wanted to cement themselves as one of the NHL's best, this year's result needed to be different.

“At some point you knew you were going to have them again," Barkov said, "and you've got to be able to get over that hump, and we did it this year.”

Barkov and Carter Verhaege each had two goals and an assist to go along with 31 saves from Sergei Bobrovsky, and the Panthers beat the Lightning 6-1 in Game 5 on Monday night to clinch their first-round series and advance in the NHL playoffs.

Niko Mikkola had a goal and an assist, Evan Rodrigues also scored and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists for the Panthers, who won a playoff series against Tampa Bay for the first time in franchise history and clinched a postseason series at home for only the fourth time. Florida bested Boston and Philadelphia on home ice in the first two rounds of the 1996 playoffs, then eliminated Carolina at home in last season’s Eastern Conference finals en route to their second Stanley Cup Final appearance.

The Panthers didn’t downplay it: Monday night’s win meant a lot.

All three playoff series between the two teams have come in the last four years, with Tampa Bay winning the first one 4-2 in 2021 and then sweeping Florida in 2022. The Panthers won the first three games this year before the Lightning avoided elimination with a 6-3 win in Game 4, forcing the Panthers to close out the series on home ice.

“This was a big series for us," said Tkachuk, who had three goals and six assists in the first round. “We always knew that for us ultimately to win it all, it was probably going to have to go through Tampa at some point, so just an amazing feeling closing it out at home.”

Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, which was eliminated in the first round for the second straight year after reaching the Final three straight years. Andrei Vasilevsky stopped 33 shots.

Verhaeghe opened scoring for the Panthers with a four-on-four goal just 45 seconds into the second period. Verhaeghe grabbed his own rebound and wristed a shot past Vasilevsky.

Barkov gave Florida a 2-0 lead when he pounced on a rebound for a short-handed goal — his first of the playoffs — at 7:22 of the second period. He added another at 8:54 of a four-goal third to restore the Panthers' two-goal cushion after Hedman got the Lightning on the board 59 seconds after Barkov's first score.

The Panthers had 22 shots on goal in the second, which is the second-most in a single period of a playoff game in franchise history. Florida had 23 shots in the third period of a playoff win against Pittsburgh in 1996.

Rodrigues added a score for good measure with less than six minutes left to play on a wrist shot that was his first goal of the playoffs, and Verhaeghe scored an empty-netter with just under four minutes to play to stretch his franchise-record goals total to 20. Mikkola added to the onslaught with another empty-netter nearly three minutes later.

Anthony Cirelli appeared to have scored Tampa Bay's first goal when he tapped a loose puck past Bobrovsky with seven minutes left in the first period. The goal was overturned, however, after the Panthers challenged for goaltender interference. Former Panther Anthony Duclair's right skate made contact with Bobrovsky as he was trying to make the save.

The Lightning had another goal waved off in the second period when Mikhail Sergachev appeared to tie it on a long-range shot from the blue line. The goal was immediately waved off because of goaltender interference by Cirelli, and upheld after a failed Tampa Bay challenge.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper said he didn't feel Duclair's interference was “egregious” enough to warrant disallowing the goal.

"Now we have to rebound from that. We do, and then the next one is a net-front battle. I will give the goallie credit — He quit on the play. He completely quit. There was maybe incidental contact at most.

“Net-front battles aren't allowed anymore?" Cooper continued. "That's part of everybody's game. The boxing out that goes there is like prison rules in the playoffs. But it's not prison rules for the goallie? ... And when the players are working so hard on both teams, like I said it's a war down there, I think we're letting the goallies off the hook.”

The Lightning's NHL-best power play during the regular season was inconsistent in this first round. Tampa Bay had two man-advantages in the first 10 minutes of the opening period — Florida killed them both off — and finished the game 0 for 3.

UP NEXT

The Panthers will play either Boston or Toronto in the second round. Boston leads that series 3-1 with Game 5 on Tuesday.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (91) left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) and center Aleksander Barkov, right, celebrate after Barkov scored during the third period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, left, and Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice congratulate each other after the Panthers beat the Lightning 6-1 during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) and Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) congratulate each other after the Panthers beat the Lightning 6-1 during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers players celebrate after they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1, during Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and left wing Matthew Tkachuk, left, congratulate center Carter Verhaeghe (23) after Verhaeghe scored a goal during the third period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers centers Carter Verhaeghe (23) and Sam Reinhart, right, battle for the puck with Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (81) during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

A shot from Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman gets past Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for a goal during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) is congratulated by teammates after he scored during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Florida Panthers, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour flips over Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) as left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) chases the puck followed by defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98) during the first period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe, right, is congratulated by defenseman Niko Mikkola after Verhaeghe scored during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) scores against Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky deflects a shot during the first period of Game 5 of the first-round of an NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday, April 29, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)