Lakers News: LA Gets Surprise Endorsement For Season Finale Win
The Los Angeles Lakers have one more game left in this very wide, entertaining and frustrating 2023-2024 season. Eighty-one games have passed, and one more is left, and it is by far the biggest game of the year for the purple and gold.
The Lakers must win to avoid the nine or ten seed in the play-in tournament against the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers almost messed it up for themselves in a nail-biting win over the dreadful Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Nonetheless, the Lakers took care of business, and they got help as well. Their division rivals, the Phoneix Suns, defeated the Sacramento Kings in a thriller, 108-107, to give the Lakers the eighth seed for the moment.
Today's slate of games is vital for the Lakers and Suns. If the Lakers win, they are in eighth seed with two opportunities to crack the playoffs; however, if they lose, they drop to nine or ten, and the Suns drop to the play-in tournament. Because of that, Suns superstar Devin Booker is a temporary Laker fan.
After the Suns' win over the Kings, Booker made it clear who he is rooting for in Sunday's match between LA and New Orleans.
The Suns are one game back of the Pelicans; however, with a win on Sunday and a Pelicans loss to the Lakers, the Suns would avoid the play-in tournament and be the sixth seed. The Suns hold the tiebreaker over the Pelicans.
The Suns did a solid for the Lakers by defeating the Kings; now it's time to return the favor. The difference between two games to save your season and one is astronomical. LA needs to secure the eighth seed to have that chance.
It's the new norm for the Lakers and their fan. The Lakers have participated in the play-in in three of the last four seasons. Whether it's for one reason or another, the Lakers can't seem to secure a top-six seed.
Nonetheless, the only thing that matters is winning today. We should expect a hungry Laker team on Sunday that wants to play for the right to the seventh seed next week, whether against the Pelicans or Suns. Buckle up for what should be an exciting matchup.
