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The Los Angeles Lakers have been surging as of late, winning eight of their last nine games to position themselves to improve their standing in the Western Conference.
The Lakers have been stuck in the nine seed despite their winning record, though they’ve gotten help the past week as teams like the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans have lost multiple games and slipped down the list.
Los Angeles only has five games remaining in the 2023-24 NBA season and needs to win out if they want to move up.
As things stand, the Lakers would have to win two games in the Play-In Tournament if they want to qualify for the postseason.
That changes if they move up to the eight or seven seed because then they would just need to win one game.
Head coach Darvin Ham emphasized that the standings don’t matter unless his team is able to win their own games, via Michael Corvo of ClutchPoints.
“We have to take care of our business first. Nothing else matters … It all begins, involves, and ends with us,” Ham said.
Darvin Ham on the Lakers’ place in the standings: “We have to take care of our business first. Nothing else matters … It all begins, involves, and ends with us.”
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvo_) April 6, 2024
Fans have been eagerly watching the standings as the playoff race tightens up, though Ham is right that it’s pointless unless L.A. wins games.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been playing some of their best basketball as of late, with players like D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura contributing as well.
The Lakers would be a scary first-round opponent for any team, so it’ll be interesting to see where they wind up in the standings.
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