The Lakers will face the Pelicans tonight in Las Vegas, the semi-final game of the In-Season Tournament.

It's going to be an event, maybe one people didn't see coming but an event nonetheless, and a game that sneaky intriguing given the pretty decent performance to this point from Willie Green's bunch in New Orleans, who are above water despite having critical players like Trey Murphy III and CJ McCollum miss huge chunks of time. Like the Lakers, the Pelicans have been playing the "when we're healthy..." game all season long. Trying to figure out just how good they can be. And in theory? The answer is very, very good. There is a lot of talent, led by Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, but supplemented with some very solid players (Herb Jones, Jonas Valenciunas, Murphy, McCollum, etc.) behind them.

So this is a measuring stick game for the Pelicans, even before adding in the hype of the tournament. And like the Lakers, the Pelicans are taking it seriously, because not only can this mean money, but valuable exposure for a team that doesn't exactly book a lot of national TV dates.

So what's the game going to look like? Who are the potential x-factors? What are the key matchups, including among the stars? What might Lakers fans be surprised by, when it comes to Zion? Should they be concerned about Murphy III?

We ask those questions and more to Jake Madison, the great host of Locked On Pelicans, in a great breakdown of tonight's game.

It's gonna be fun!

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: Does this game mean more to New Orleans than it might another team?

SEGMENT 2: What's the upside for the Pels? What matchups can the Lakers exploit?

SEGMENT 3: Zion vs. LeBron vs. Davis. Talking stars and supporting casts.

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