Predicting Lakers Final 9 Games Of The Season: No Room For Mistakes

The Los Angeles Lakers currently occupy the No. 4 seed in the West with a 44-29 record. With nine games left for the franchise this season, fans are invested in seeing how far up the standings the Lakers can end the year. 

While it seems they’re all but out of the race for the No. 2 seed, currently sitting 3.5 games behind the Houston Rockets, the team needs wins to secure No. 3 or No. 4 ahead of the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies. This will be a major focus for the franchise heading into the final few weeks of the season, as rookie head coach JJ Redick looks to prove his worth in the regular season.

The Lakers’ hopes of securing a high seed might be in major jeopardy. After losing winnable games like their two losses to the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers end a really tricky final nine games of the season. They’ll believe in their ability to win these games, but let’s take a deeper look at their remaining schedule this season.

Lakers @ Grizzlies (March 29; 8 PM EST)

I started writing this before the Memphis Grizzlies decided to fire Taylor Jenkins, so this has been rejigged on the fly. The initial pick was going to be the Grizzlies to win due to the high stakes of the matchup, but Jenkins’ firing confirms the team doesn’t really have high expectations for this season. A hungry Lakers squad can easily walk away with a win here.

Prediction: Lakers def. Grizzlies 121-108

Houston @ Lakers (March 31; 10 PM EST)

The Houston Rockets are looking to wrap up the No. 2 seed the Lakers held just a few weeks ago for their own. A win here would give them a virtually unassailable lead over the Lakers, which is why LA will try their hardest in this clash. The Lakers have the defensive tools to stop the Rockets, but Houston’s rhythm right now might be too much to overcome for the still-adapting Lakers.

Prediction: Rockets def. Lakers 103-99

Warriors @ Lakers (April 3; 10 PM EST)

The Golden State Warriors have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA since acquiring Jimmy Butler. However, the magic run they’ve been on with Butler has already started trailing off. The Lakers have been a matchup nightmare for the Warriors, so until I see otherwise, I have to say the Lakers can pull this win out.

Prediction: Lakers def. Warriors 113-106

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

The New Orleans Pelicans have lost a majority of their players to injury and have been committed to tanking since the first month of the season. While Zion Williamson has been shocking teams, it doesn’t look like they’ll have enough to beat a motivated Lakers squad at this point in the season.

Prediction: Lakers def. Pelicans 125-105

Lakers @ Thunder (April 6; 3:30 PM EST)

The OKC Thunder haven’t dominated teams like the Lakers as often as they have teams across the NBA this season. Sending them a message with a win ahead of the Playoffs would be huge for the franchise, firmly establishing them as the big dogs of the NBA. With the form they’re in, they genuinely look unbeatable, and that likely will be the case against the Lakers as well.

Prediction: Thunder def. Lakers 123-101

Lakers @ Thunder (April 8; 8 PM EST)

The Lakers will instantly rematch the Thunder, which is where we predict a major upset. LA will pull this win off in a hard-fought manner, potentially ending a double-digit Thunder win streak if they keep their current winning ways alive. It’ll be a season-defining win for LA, which will certify them as Playoff contenders in the eyes of many.

Prediction: Lakers def. Thunder 111-110

Lakers @ Mavericks (April 9; 7:30 PM EST)

This will arguably be the biggest game of the Lakers’ end-of-season stretch. Luka Doncic will be returning to Dallas for the first time since being traded away. Everyone’s excited to see Doncic execute a revenge game of epic proportions against a shorthanded Mavericks squad. Even with Anthony Davis healthy, I don’t see how the Mavs can keep up with the Lakers and Doncic to pull this win off.

Prediction: Lakers def. Mavericks 119-111

Houston @ Lakers (April 11; 10:30 PM EST)

The Rockets face off against the Lakers again. By this point, we likely will have a clearer picture of what Playoff seed the Lakers are in line for. Our predictions show they’re likely fighting for the No. 3 seed at this point. If they’ve secured the top-four, they could rest most major players, which will give a young and hungry Rockets franchise a chance to add to their win total even more.

Prediction: Rockets def. Lakers 117-109

Lakers @ Blazers (April 13; 3:30 PM EST)

The final game of the season will see the Lakers face the Portland Trail Blazers. Both teams will likely have nothing to play for, so it’s almost impossible to predict the lineups we’ll see. If it’s a must-win for the Lakers, they can easily commit to it and ensure it falls their way based on their talent and experience.

Prediction: Lakers def. Blazers 126-112

The Lakers End Their Season Strong

It’s a bold prediction for many, but we think the Lakers will go 6-3 to finish the season. This means they’ll finish as a 50-win franchise for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Their record should be good enough for No. 4 in the East, presuming the Grizzlies have a minor drop-off after their major head coaching change.

Playoff seedings aren’t as important as matchups, so if the Lakers find the right matchups on their bracket, they won’t care about missing out on a seed number. They’ll be looking to win a title all the same.  

Doncic has never been higher than the No. 4 seed in the Playoffs anyway. Yet, he’s made it to the Conference and the NBA Finals in his last two Playoff appearances.

If they’re motivated, the Lakers can achieve almost anything. Ending their season strong will be imperative for the momentum they carry forward.

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