The Los Angeles Lakers have had a horrendous season so far. The Lakers roster that was assembled during the offseason was considered to be championship contenders heading into the season. What has followed could possibly be considered one of the biggest disappointments in recent NBA history. And things could get much worse if the Lakers don’t win their game tonight against the Dallas Mavericks.
Thanks to the San Antonio Spurs winning their game last night, they have moved just 0.5 games behind the Lakers in the Western Conference Standings. If the Lakers, who play tonight, aren’t able to beat the Dallas Mavericks, the Spurs will move ahead of them in the Western Conference Standings, and thus take the final play-in tournament spot from the Lakers going into the final stretch of the season.
The Lakers would fall out of the play-in with a loss to the Mavs tomorrow
— pickuphoop (@pickuphoop) March 29, 2022
The Lakers will know how important tonight’s game is for them. But that doesn’t guarantee we will see a more focused version of the Lakers. Their previous game against the New Orleans Pelicans was also considered a must-win for them, but the Lakers ended up capitulating, blowing a 23-point lead and losing the game.
LeBron James hurt his ankle during the last game, and after the game, noted that his ankle feels horrible. There is a concern that James will have to miss tonight’s game against the Mavs, as he will be checked before. Losing LeBron will make an already difficult game even tougher for the Lakers, as LeBron has been the best player on the team by some distance this season.
The Lakers know how important tonight’s game is. But the Dallas Mavericks are one of the best teams in the Western Conference and are looking to capitalize on the Golden State Warriors’ poor run of form to secure the third seed in the West. Both teams have a lot at stake tonight, so it will be interesting to see which side eventually wins out.
