The LA Lakers suddenly find themselves among the favorites to make the playoffs and make a deep playoff run. With their victory over the Utah Jazz on Sunday, LeBron James and his team have clinched the seventh seed and will play in the play-in tournament.
The team still has a couple of hurdles to face before making the playoffs. However, these obstacles are extremely easy compared to anything they have faced this season.
Considering they are the most popular team in the league right now, the LA Lakers should be able to win the gate tournament easily. However, just one loss would be a huge setback.
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The LA Lakers will play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday
As the seventh-seeded team, the Los Angeles Lakers will host their opponent in the play-in on Tuesday night. They will face the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are dealing with some big problems right now.
The Timberwolves beat the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, clinching the eighth seed and a play-in matchup against Los Angeles. However, they may not be able to count on Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels for the game against the Lakers.
McDaniels injured his hand against the Pelicans, while Gobert was sent home for hitting his teammate. Considering that both are starters, his absence will make the game much easier for the Lakers, who have won nine of their last 11 games.
The two teams have faced three teams in the regular season, with the Timberwolves winning two meetings. However, the Lakers won their most recent meeting by 12 points, 123-111.
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Minnesota had six players scoring in double figures, but that wasn’t enough to stop the Lakers. Anthony Davis was especially good as he finished the game with 38 points, 17 rebounds, one steal and two blocks.
If the LA Lakers beat Minnesota, they will advance to the playoffs where they will face the second seed Memphis Grizzlies. However, if they lose, they will have to win another playoff game to advance to the postseason.
With a loss, the Lakers will play either the OKC Thunder or the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night. The Thunder and Pelicans will play on Wednesday, with the winner facing the loser of the Lakers-Timberwolves matchup.
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With a loss to the Timberwolves, the Lakers will fight to make the playoffs as the eighth seed. In this case, they will face the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
The LA Lakers were ranked 13th in the West at the trade deadline date. Their 25-31 record was among the worst in the league, but they’ve been 17-8 since. Because of this, they are definitely favorites to not only make the playoffs, but to have a deep postseason run as well.