The Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to secure the third seed tonight, and the latest news out of Houston has just increased their odds of securing a victory. According to the injury report, all five Rockets starters will be out for the game to secure some extra rest before the playoffs.
The full list includes: Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun. The Lakers are only missing Maxi Kleber, who has yet to play since the trade that shipped him from the Mavericks.
The Rockets will have some rotation players ready to suit up tonight but it’s clear that their priority is not on winning tonight’s game. With the second seed already secured, the Rockets have nothing to lose from getting an extra day of rest for their players to heal and prepare for the battles to come. If they punt this game, and the rest of the regular season, they can begin the first round with fresh legs and minimize the injury risk.
Regardless of the reasoning, it’s great news for the Lakers. A win tonight will guarantee that they keep their place in the standings, locking up home-court in the first-round advantage while also avoiding an early matchup against the Thunder.
“Rockets resting everyone, Lakers better not be on that BS tonight please,” wrote a nervous Lakers fan on X. “Just have a normal win and take care of business against a depleted team for once.”
For many, it was a celebration on social media, as some fans anticipated the win today and the upcoming fight in the playoffs.
“That means the Lakers are highly likely to win today and lock in the third seed in the West, plus the Pacific Division title,” observed one fan after seeing tonight’s injury report. “Let’s go, Lakers!
The Lakers tend to play down to their competition but the stakes are just too high right now to make any more mistakes. A single loss could make or break their season and tonight they have no excuse not to get the job done.
“Ok Lakers, don’t f**k around,” posted one Lakers fan on X. “Beat the Rockets backups into the ground and rest comfortably in that 3rd seed til the playoffs start!!”
The Lakers still have one final game against the Trail Blazers before completing the season but the fans are hoping that the bench unit can take over and give the veterans some much-needed rest.
“Need Dalton and Bronny to be like Malik Monk and Reaves in that final game of the season against the Nuggets back in 2022,” one fan wrote.
If the Lakers take care of business tonight, the starters will have eight full days off before the playoffs and that could make a difference between advancing and an early playoff exit.
Ultimately, no matter who’s in or out for the game, the Lakers must not mess around with their opponent. They’ve lost to shorthanded teams before and some fans worry that it could happen again if they fail to maintain their focus on the court. Tonight will be the ultimate test for Los Angeles and they cannot afford to fail with their season on the line.
