With the Western Conference a tight-knit race yet again this season, this series will look at the standings and games to watch across the league as the Lakers look to secure home court and move up the standings.
The Western Conference playoff race is beginning to look clear. The Thunder have secured the top seed, the Spurs are second and the Wolves will be sixth. After that, it’s a log-jam featuring the Lakers, Nuggets and Rockets all battling for the third, fourth and fifth seed.
Here’s a look at
the current playoff standings in the middle of the conference: 3. Nuggets — 52-28, 12 GB 4. Lakers — 51-29, 13 GB 5. Rockets — 51-29, 13 GB
The Nuggets have been far and away the best team from this trio. They have won 10 straight games and remain ahead of their competition.
Still, if the Lakers win the rest of their games and Denver loses just once, then LA can finish as the third seed.
This is possible because the Lakers own the tiebreaker over the Rockets and Nuggets, so if they take care of business and the right teams lose, they will be, at worst, a top-four seed in the West.
That would be remarkable and is something even head coach JJ Redick had stopped believing was an option.
Before LA lost OKC, Redick said that “seeding is out the window” after Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves had been ruled out for the season.
Let’s take a look at the big games to watch around the league for the next couple of days and who Lakers fans should be rooting for.
Friday
Thunder at Nuggets — Typically, this would be a good scenario for the Lakers. They need Denver to lose, and OKC is the best team in the NBA.
But the Thunder are locked in as the No. 1 seed, so they have nothing to play for. OKC is a deep team, so maybe the players who suit up can shock everyone and pull off an upset, but that’s unlikely.
Wolves at Rockets — This is a similar situation to the Nuggets-Thunder game. The Lakers need a Wolves win, but they have nothing to play for. If Houston comes out on top, that’ll put pressure on the Lakers to keep winning so they don’t drop to the fifth seed.
Sunday
Nuggets at Spurs — This is a game that the Nuggets could lose. Victor Wembanyama is an MVP candidate and needs to play 65 games to be eligible for end-of-season awards. He must play in both remaining Spurs contests to qualify.
Assuming Wemby plays, even at a limited capacity, San Antonio will have a good chance of beating Denver and helping Los Angeles.
Grizzlies at Rockets — Memphis is tanking and has lost six straight games. They have zero incentive to compete, so if Houston wants the win, it’s theirs.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
