NBA: LeBron James helps Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans and reach the play-offs

LeBron James scored 23 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 110-106 to reach the NBA play-offs.

James, 39, also contributed nine rebounds, nine assists and three steals to help the Lakers seal the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

The Lakers face the defending champion, the Denver Nuggets, in the first round of the play-offs.

“We have a good group right now,” James said.

“After we played the last game, we understood that they were going to give us everything they had – the entire kitchen sink and the toolbox – and they did that.

“So it was a gutsy win for us and we punched our ticket to the postseason.”

James is set to compete in the play-offs for the 17th time in his 21-season career.

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Kings ended the Golden State Warriors’ hopes of appearing in the play-offs with a 118-94 victory.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors in scoring with 22 points, but Klay Thompson – who averaged 17.9 points per game this season – failed to score in 32 minutes.

The Warriors have missed the play-offs three times in the last five seasons.

Keegan Murray hit eight three-pointers and finished the game with 32 points and nine rebounds for the Kings, while De’Aaron Fox added 24 points.

The Kings face the Pelicans on Saturday, with the winner securing eighth place and the final play-off spot in the West.