{"id":1500031,"date":"2022-04-05T12:38:20","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T16:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1500031"},"modified":"2022-04-05T12:38:21","modified_gmt":"2022-04-05T16:38:21","slug":"what-must-happen-los-angeles-lakers-2022-nba-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/what-must-happen-los-angeles-lakers-2022-nba-playoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"What Must Happen for Los Angeles Lakers to Make the 2022 NBA Playoffs?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Breaking news: The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> are in the stretch run of a massively disappointing 2021-22 NBA<\/a> season that has seen them fail to live up to the lofty preseason expectations and plummet toward the bottom of the Western Conference standings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfathomable as it may once have seemed heading into the season-opening contest against the Golden State Warriors, LA no longer controls its own playoff destiny during the final week of the campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Anthony Davis battling injuries throughout the year<\/a>, Russell Westbrook struggling to play effective and efficient basketball<\/a> on both ends of the floor, and LeBron James chasing the scoring title with only 56 games under his belt<\/a> during the least impactful year he's had in quite some time, the Lakers need some help from another Western Conference squad just to get into the play-in tournament and retain a shot at one of the eight postseason spots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Los Angeles Lakers currently sit at No. 11<\/strong> and in a bad position<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Anthony
Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on after being defeated by the Denver Nuggets 129-118 | Sean M. Haffey\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To keep this disappointing season alive, the Lakers need only finish with one of the 10 best records in the Western Conference \u2014 tiebreakers included. But considering they're coming out of the brief Monday hiatus with a 31-47 record that leaves them ahead of only the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Houston Rockets, they're fighting an uphill battle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let's take a quick peek at the relevant part of the Western standings, excluding the top eight seeds in the conference as those are already set in stone (as top-eight teams, not necessarily concerning the order in which they'll finish): <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current Seed<\/strong><\/td>W<\/strong><\/td>L<\/strong><\/td>GB<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
9. New Orleans Pelicans<\/td>34<\/td>44<\/td>28.0<\/td><\/tr>
10. San Antonio Spurs<\/td>33<\/td>45<\/td>29.0<\/td><\/tr>
11. Los Angeles Lakers<\/td>31<\/td>47<\/td>31.0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With only four games remaining, the Lakers can't chase down their fellow Hollywood-dwellers at No. 8. In fact, none of the teams listed above can catch the 39-40 Los Angeles Clippers, which means the squad awaiting a possible return from Kawhi Leonard<\/a> can rest on its laurels (a bit) during the final week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kings, sitting at No. 12 with a 29-50 record, are also basically irrelevant in this conversation. They could pass the Lakers to finish 11th, but they're mathematically eliminated from play-in contention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comes down to the Pelicans, Spurs, and Lakers \u2014 three teams chasing two spots in the end-of-season tournament. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Los Angeles Lakers also have a tiebreaker problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Spurs are 2 games up from the Lakers.

And they hold the tiebreaker. pic.twitter.com\/MUYK6j1Phh<\/a><\/p>— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 4, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>