The Los Angeles Lakers were flying high just two weeks ago They clinched the In-Season Tournament after a dominant showing, especially in the knockout stages. However, the team has only won one of their five games since, falling into the eighth seed with a 15-13 record. Given their upcoming schedule, this record stands only to worsen.
The Lakers have a very challenging set of fixtures coming up soon, with many fans believing that there is a chance we have seen the Lakers win their last game of 2023, with six losses in the team’s destiny in their remaining games of the year.
@ Timberwolves, 21 December
@ Thunder, 23 December
vs. Celtics, 25 December
vs. Hornets, 28 December
@ Timberwolves, 30 December
@ Pelicans, 31 December
This is a tricky set of fixtures, with only one fixture where it can be comfortably said that the Lakers will be favorites (vs. Hornets). But fans think that this tricky schedule could prove problematic and cause the Lakers to possibly end 2023 with a record of 15-19.
“They have a solid chance on the 28th but they’re playing with no breaks and a lot of back-to-backs against streaking teams. These recent string of losses have hardly been competitive.”
“Lmao, the Lakers are one mid-ass team”
“No need to win any more games. They’re the IST champs.”
“LeBron is going to ball out in Boston. He’ll drag their asses to a win if he has to kill a few of them in the process.”
“Pelicans do not seem to play well against the Lakers. The last two matches ups were two gigantic blowouts for the Lakers.”
“‘Don’t poke the bear’ – Pop, 2023.”
“Depends on how hard LeBron tries.”
This will not be an easy run of fixtures, but saying they will fail to win any of these six games is a stretch. But this could be a stretch of games that causes the Lakers to go into the new year under .500, something they’ll be looking to desperately avoid.
How Many Games Can The Lakers Win Until The End Of The Year?
The Lakers’ nightmare stretch to end the year begins tonight, as they play on the second night of a back-to-back against the best team in the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Lakers looked lethargic and disengaged in last night’s loss against the Bulls, so they will hope to come out with more energy. Both teams are defense-oriented, but the Wolves are among the best defensive teams in the NBA and it could be a nightmare for the struggling Lakers offense to put up points.
The Thunder were a team that gave the Lakers big problems even when they were tanking, evidenced by them handing the Lakers a big loss on the night LeBron James became the league’s all-time leading scorer. They’re the second-best team in the West and will want to upset the Lakers to keep pace with the Wolves atop the table.
Arguably the hardest three-game stretch in the NBA ends with the Boston Celtics at Christmas. Not only is this a heated rivalry, but the Celtics have the best record in the NBA and are championship favorites. The Lakers had some tense games against the Celtics last season, but it’s impossible to say the Lakers could win any of these three games on paper. Hopefully, LeBron and Anthony Davis can pull out a Christmas miracle for the Lakers faithful.
The most winnable game of the stretch comes after a three-day break after Christmas, as the Lakers face the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets are the one team the Lakers will be hoping can be a comprehensive win, but no win in the NBA is free. The Hornets could pull off an upset like they did last year by ending the Mavericks’ playoff hopes with shock wins in the last week of the season.
After a rematch with the Wolves on the 30th, the Lakers face the Pelicans on New Year’s Eve. The Lakers have had the Pelicans’ number in their last few matches, including a near-40-point drubbing in the In-Season Tournament semi-finals. The Pels are finding their form, so they’ll give the Lakers a tough fight.
Even in the worst-case scenario, I think the Lakers should secure a win against either the Hornets or the Pels. Basketball isn’t won on paper, so their fate to end the year is entirely up to them. If they can deliver on the court against the toughest three-game stretch in the NBA and follow it up with a strong end to the year in the last week, the Lakers could rise back to being contenders in the West.
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