LA Lakers have had a rollercoaster season due to injuries. But they have managed to stay in contention for a playoff spot thanks to the new-look roster.
17-time NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, are poised for a much-awaited playoff qualification post a thumping win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday. This marked the purple and gold’s third consecutive win after losing out to Chicago Bulls last week. With the latest win, the team climbed up to the 7th spot on the tight Western Conference points table.
Anthony Davis, the Lakers’ star center forward, recorded his third successive 35+ point game and led the team to a commanding yet crucial victory. Moreover, LeBron James is slowly finding his rhythm after a three weeks long injury break and putting 18 points on board. The bench took care of the rest, with Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Malik Beasley registering double-figure points. Overall, it was a sweet victory for Hollywood, who now inch closer to the big playoff dream.
Lakers Inching Closer To The Playoffs, Books A Nearly Confirmed Spot In The Play-Ins
Currently, the Los Angeles Lakers are sitting in the seventh spot in the Western Conference table with a record of 40-38. They are just one game behind the Golden State Warriors and three games behind the Phoenix Suns. The top six teams in each conference will receive automatic playoff berths, while the seventh through tenth seeds participate in a play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff spots. Hence, with just four games left for the regular season, the Lakers will successfully qualify for the playins if not any further.
Assuming the Lakers can move up one more spot, they will avoid the play-in tournament and secure a spot in the first round of the playoffs. However, purple and gold still have some work to do in order to live the playoff dream. They have four games remaining on their schedule, including two against the 10th-seeded Utah Jazz and one against the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns. Regardless, even with one game down the line, the battle is half won as they will avoid the dreaded second consecutive playoff elimination.
Fans Deliver Verdict On LA’s Final Position In The West
Meanwhile, SB Nations Reacts conducted a survey last week and asked the Lakers fans to weigh in their opinion on the team’s final position in the West table at the end of the regular season. It was a close contest between the 6th and 7th seeds. While 27% of fans voted for the sixth seed, 26% think the Lakers will enter the play-ins as the 7th seeded team. Certainly, the team’s recent success has hyped up the fans, who seem excited to see their favorite team fight for the 18th title by ending the regular season in a comfortable position.
If the Lakers do manage to avoid the play-in tournament and secure a playoff spot outright, they will likely be one of the most dangerous teams in the Western Conference. Regardless, the new-look roster is capable of taking any team head on any given day. Hence, the Lakers will back themselves to make it to another NBA finals and end the tournament on a high.