Los Angeles Lakers guard Malik Monk (11) drives on Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell (45) throughout an NBA basketball recreation at Vivint Enviornment in Salt Lake Metropolis on Thursday, March 31, 2022. Utah gained 122-109. Mengshin Lin, Deseret Information
Two years in the past, the Los Angeles Lakers had been celebrating successful the franchise’s seventeenth NBA championship.
Now, they could discover themselves out of the playoff image altogether, at the same time as LeBron James and Anthony Davis attempt to return from harm to assist in the playoff push.
Will the Los Angeles Lakers miss the playoffs?
- Because it stands now, after the Lakers fell to the Utah Jazz on Thursday for his or her fourth straight loss, Los Angeles is tied with San Antonio for tenth within the Western Division with an identical 31-45 information.
- Whereas the Spurs and Lakers cut up their season collection, San Antonio holds the tiebreaker over Los Angeles as a result of it has a greater convention win-loss share.
- The Lakers and Spurs are doubtless combating for the Western Convention’s remaining play-in spot — the No. 7 to No. 10 seeds in every convention will stage a play-in match to find out who fills the seventh and eighth playoff seeds for every convention.
- Proper now, each groups are two video games again of the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 9 seed and three.5 video games up on Sacramento.
- The Lakers had been part of the play-in match final yr and superior because the No. 7 seed, although they misplaced to the No. 2 seed Phoenix Suns within the first spherical of the playoffs.
What video games do the Lakers and Spurs have remaining?
Each groups have six video games left within the common season.
Los Angeles Lakers
- Friday, April 1: vs. New Orleans.
- Sunday, April 3: vs. Denver.
- Tuesday, April 5: at Phoenix.
- Thursday, April 7: at Golden State.
- Friday, April 8: vs. Oklahoma Metropolis.
- Sunday, April 10: at Denver.
San Antonio Spurs
- Friday, April 1: vs. Portland
- Sunday, April 3: vs. Portland.
- Tuesday, April 5: at Denver.
- Thursday, April 7: at Minnesota.
- Saturday, April 9: vs. Golden State.
- Sunday, April 10: at Dallas.
Who’s obtained the harder highway to the postseason?
- Los Angeles doubtless has the harder path, with all however one among its remaining six opponents — Oklahoma Metropolis being the outlier — within the playoff image.
- San Antonio has two video games towards Portland, which is eradicated from the playoffs, earlier than ending towards 4 playoff-caliber groups. Three of these remaining 4 video games are on the highway.