It’s more a matter of when, not if, the Lakers fall down to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference it seems.
There hasn’t been much going right for the Lakers over the last week and Monday night was no different. For one, the Lakers lost to the Thunder, which didn’t help their own case in the playoff race, even if it was an expected result.
However, they didn’t get any favors, either. After trailing by 21 points in the first quarter, the Rockets stormed back against the Suns to win their seventh
straight game and tie the Lakers. That leaves the standings looking as such.
The Lakers have the tiebreaker over the Rockets, so just matching their record would be enough to secure the fourth seed and home court advantage in the first round. But that’s easier said than done.
The Lakers play a pair of play-in teams in Golden State and Phoenix in a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Houston has its own back-to-back against the Sixers and Wolves, both games at home.
If you’re not feeling good about the Lakers’ chances, you’re not alone. While they can’t fall all the way to the sixth seed, it feels inevitable that they’ll land in the fifth seed. From there, you can pick which is the “better” opponent for the Lakers to face in the first round, but it feels like the fate will be all the same once the postseason arrives.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
