The Los Angeles Lakers have clinched a top-six seed in the Western Conference and the Pacific Division title for the second consecutive year. The Phoenix Suns losing to the Orlando Magic secured the placement for L.A. ahead of their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
The Lakers were teetering on a spot in the Play-In Tournament in late February, but caught fire in the month of March. They won 15 of 17 games between Feb. 28 and March 30, including nine wins in a row. They landed impressive wins in that stretch, defeating the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets twice.
L.A. avoids the Play-In Tournament for the second straight year after playing in it in three out of the four seasons prior. This coincides with the first two seasons of head coach JJ Redick’s tenure with the franchise, as well as the arrival of superstar Luka Doncic.
Redick has now clinched the top six and 50-win seasons in both of his years as a head coach. The Lakers won 50 or more games in one of the previous 13 seasons before Redick was hired.
The added bonus of clinching this playoff spot is that the Lakers are now guaranteed five days off between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. Their last regular season game is Sunday, April 12 and they will either play their first postseason game on Saturday, April 18 or Sunday, April 19.
That week of rest could be critical for the Lakers, who have dealt with injuries for much of the season, including to two of their big three in Austin Reaves and LeBron James.
LeBron James speaks to Lakers loving playing together
The Lakers are hopeful to survive longer in the postseason this year than they did last year, when they were eliminated in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Part of why there could be confidence in them to do so is that their team chemistry is far stronger.
James spoke about the team loving to play together and what that could mean when the games start to matter even more.
“We’re in a good place right now,” James said after a recent win. “The chemistry is high. Everyone loves being around each other. We love playing for one another. We love being off the floor with one another. It’s a good tight-knit group and we gotta carry that for the rest of the regular season then I feel like the postseason is a whole new season.”
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