Lakers March Schedule Includes 8 Big Games: No. 2 Seed Are On Edge

The Los Angeles Lakers opened March with a crucial victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, the team’s sixth win on the bounce. They’ve gone 18-4 since January 14, an incredible turn of events given the team looked like a potential Play-In squad just a few months ago. 

In this purple patch of form, the Lakers also decided to trade defensive backbone Anthony Davis for offensive wizard Luka Doncic. Despite that, the Lakers’ defense has hovered among the best in the NBA, better than it looked at any point with a DPOY-caliber center like Davis in the middle. 

With Doncic also looking more adjusted to the Lakers now, March is the month the team proves its worth as a contender. Let’s take a look at how their schedule could go, with a stretch of incredibly challenging fixtures early in the month.

Pelicans @ Lakers (March 4; 10:30 PM EST)

The Lakers will hope to continue their winning streak against one of the worst teams in the NBA, the New Orleans Pelicans. While the Pelicans have been picking up upset wins on the backs of a finally healthy Zion Williamson, the Lakers challenge might be too much for them to keep up with, especially defensively.

Prediction: Lakers def. Pelicans 123-107

Knicks @ Lakers (March 6; 10:00 PM EST)

The last game the pre-Doncic Lakers played was a shock win over the New York Knicks without Anthony Davis. That game can be viewed as the genesis of the current form of aggressive Lakers defense. Given how the Knicks have struggled against top-tier competition this season, I think they could fall victims to another loss to the Lakers, especially with Doncic refurbishing their offense.

Prediction: Lakers def. Knicks 119-114

Lakers @ Celtics (March 8; 8:30 PM EST)

This game will likely be the moment the Lakers crash back to earth as they face a real-deal contender like the Boston Celtics. The Lakers did pick up a win the last time these franchises faced, but they’ll likely be without Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. The Lakers’ offense will drown against the Celtics, so we predict an eight-game LA winning streak coming to an end in this road fixture.

Prediction: Celtics def. Lakers 121-109

Lakers @ Nets (March 10; 6:30 PM EST)

The Lakers can’t become one of the many contenders who have fallen victim to a supposedly tanking Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are very well-coached and often catch their opponents sleeping if they don’t compete with effort. The Lakers will be well aware of that and not fall into that hole, likely picking up a convincing win after a potential blowout loss to the Celtics.

Prediction: Lakers def. Nets 119-98

Lakers @ Bucks (March 13; 6:30 PM EST)

A Lakers squad that could potentially be without both Reaves and Hachimura for a matchup against a team like the Milwaukee Bucks is an ugly sight. It’s hard to see how they can garner enough production from their offensive weapons when the Bucks defense will zone in on limiting LeBron and Luka while having weapons that the Lakers will have an impossible time trying to stop.

Prediction: Bucks def. Lakers 113-108

Lakers @ Nuggets (March 14; 8:30 PM EST)

Arguably the first good game Luka Doncic had with the Lakers came in a 23-point demolition of the Denver Nuggets. Just over two weeks after that win, the teams meet again in the Ball Center for a rivalry clash. While the Lakers pulled it off the last time, I feel like a motivated Nuggets squad can create enough production to ride their home-court advantage to a win to remind the Lakers who they are.

Prediction: Nuggets def. Lakers 124-115

Suns @ Lakers (March 16; 2:30 PM EST)

Even if the Phoenix Suns have dangerous weapons on paper, I simply don’t believe they’ll be a cohesive enough unit to beat such a motivated Lakers squad. Hachimura should have returned to the squad now, while Reaves’ status isn’t clear just yet. If they’re fully loaded, it’s hard to see how the discombobulated Suns offense can find the cohesion to beat the Lakers’ well-oiled winning structure.

Prediction: Lakers def. Suns 123-113

Spurs @ Lakers (March 17; 9:30 PM EST)

The San Antonio Spurs are too proud to openly tank, but Victor Wembanyama’s injury put their season on ice. This shouldn’t be a challenging win for a motivated Lakers squad this deep into the season.

Prediction: Lakers def. Spurs 112-96

Nuggets @ Lakers (March 19; 9:00 PM EST)

In what I predict to be round three of a month-long coaching battle, JJ Redick will make the necessary adjustments to pick up a win in the final regular season game against the Nuggets while also winning the season series against their Playoff tormentors.

Prediction: Lakers def. Nuggets 117-106

Bucks @ Lakers (March 20; 9:30 PM EST)

The Milwaukee Bucks have been a challenging team all season, facing injury issues and a midseason restructuring. Even with the positive form of former Lakers Kyle Kuzma, the Lakers offense is well-built to attack the Bucks while their defense can contain the Bucks’ offense unless their stars go off. This will be a tough win, but it’s one they can pull off to firmly establish their contender’s status.

Prediction: Lakers def. Bucks 123-113

Bulls @ Lakers (March 22; 9:30 PM EST)

The Chicago Bulls should be deep into a tank and are without useful winning players like Ayo Dosunmu for the rest of the season. Unless it’s a lights-out shooting night for the Bulls, the Lakers should pull this one off easily.

Prediction: Lakers def. Bulls 123-113

Lakers @ Magic (March 24; 6:00 PM EST)

The Orlando Magic are a genuinely tricky side to match up against. They have the power to grind your offensive to a halt and beat you up inside until you let them win. However, opposing teams can make their offense almost non-existent with the right mixture of perimeter aggressions and man-to-man marking. The Lakers match up terrifically and will likely contain threats like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner easily.

Prediction: Lakers def. Magic 105-92

Lakers @ Pacers (March 26; 6:30 PM EST)

This might be controversial but the Indiana Pacers are one of the few teams that play a style that could absolutely demolish the Lakers’ high-ranking defense. Their play on the fast break and in transition is seamless, while Tyrese Haliburton is able to create looks that stretch defenses and keep them active, slowly exhausting them. This will be a bad matchup for the Lakers who could run out of steam on the road.

Prediction: Pacers def. Lakers 117-104

Lakers @ Bulls (March 27; 7:00 PM EST)

Again, the Bulls have little incentive to win, so if the Lakers lose this game, they only have themselves to blame.

Prediction: Lakers def. Bulls 115-101

Lakers @ Grizzlies (March 29; 6:00 PM EST)

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the hardest matchups for the Lakers in the West after the Anthony Davis trade. Davis has previously neutralized Jaren Jackson Jr. in matchups, but Triple J will be more empowered to attack the Lakers’ lack of size inside. While the Lakers have the talent to pull this off, the Grizzlies view LA as rivals and will be motivated to beat them, especially if both teams are competing for the No. 2 seed.

Prediction: Lakers def. Grizzlies 108-102

Rockets @ Lakers (March 31; 9:00 PM EST)

The Houston Rockets pose a similar competitive challenge as the Grizzlies but the Lakers defense is better-suited to stopping Houston’s relatively mid-tier offense. Offensive talents such as Doncic and LeBron can easily overcome Houston’s defense, so this will be a tough but deserved win for LA.

Prediction: Lakers def. Rockets 107-100

Solidifying A Top Seed In March

The Lakers will need to maximize how well they play in March so stars like Doncic and LeBron can rest in April ahead of a Playoff run. We predict a 12-4 run through their remaining 16 games in March, giving them a record of 54-25 at the end of the month. This is hard to predict given the end of a Playoff race, but the Lakers need a record like this to be tangible contenders for the No. 2 seed.

Even if the No. 2 seed is hotly contested over, this record guarantees a top-four seed for the Lakers which could make them comfortable resting their stars ahead of the Playoffs. This month will define their season, and they’ll be motivated to perform at their highest level.

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