The Los Angeles Lakers hit the road for a five-game road trip and their first stop came against the team that ended their homestand on a sour note. The Chicago Bulls, fighting to keep their hold on their own Play-In Tournament spot, thoroughly outplayed the Lakers in their first meeting so the latter knew they would need to put up a better effort on both ends to pull out a win.
Thankfully, Los Angeles did just that as they took control from the jump and were able to close out Chicago in the second half to pick up the crucial victory. Anthony Davis, playing in his hometown, led all scorers with 38 points, while LeBron James and D’Angelo Russell supported him throughout the evening.
Not only did the win put Los Angeles back at .500 it also vaulted them to No. 8 in the Western Conference as the Dallas Mavericks lost on the road to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Mavericks’ unprecedented skid the past couple of weeks has really opened the door for the Lakers and it feels like things are finally breaking in favor of the purple and gold.
Aside from the Dallas loss, the Minnesota Timberwolves also lost to the Phoenix Suns who enjoyed the return of Kevin Durant. The Timberwolves are currently half a game up on the Lakers in the standings, making their showdown on Friday even more intriguing.
Minnesota has been playing much better basketball as of late and is looking like a more legitimate threat in the Western Conference, especially now that Karl Anthony-Towns is back from injury. Because Los Angeles won’t be able to win the tiebreaker, they’re going to need to finish with a better record than Minnesota if they want to leapfrog them.
Lakers standings update
5. Clippers (41-36)
Upcoming schedule: @ Grizzlies (March 31), @ New Orleans (April 1), vs. Lakers (April 5)
6. Warriors (40-37)
Upcoming schedule: vs. Spurs (March 31), @ Nuggets (April 2), vs. Thunder (April 4)
7. Timberwolves (39-38)
Upcoming schedule: vs. Lakers (March 31), vs. Trail Blazers (April 2), @ Nets (April 4)
8. Lakers (38-38)
Upcoming schedule: @ Timberwolves (March 31), @ Rockets (April 2), @ Jazz (April 4)
9. Pelicans (38-38)
Upcoming schedule: @ Nuggets (March 30), vs. Clippers (April 1), vs. Kings (April 4)
10. Thunder (37-38)
Upcoming schedule: @ Pacers (March 31), vs. Suns (April 2), @ Warriors (April 4)
11. Mavericks (37-40)
Upcoming schedule: @ Heat (April 1), @ Hawks (April 2), vs. Kings (April 5)
12. Jazz (36-40)
Upcoming schedule: @ Celtics (March 31), @ Nets (April 2), vs. Lakers (April 4)
13. Trail Blazers (32-44)
Upcoming schedule: vs. Kings (March 31), @ Timberwolves (April 2), @ Grizzlies (April 4)
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