Lakers season finale and Play-in game against Timberwolves
The Lakers end the season with a win and have a chance to make the playoffs in a play-in game against the Timberwolves.
By Gary Guillory
LeBron James "crowns" himself after hitting a three agaisnt the Utah Jazz via Official Lakers Website
A team that many questioned if they would surpass .500 is eighth in the Western Conference with a final record of 43-39.
The Lakers' season has been a rollercoaster, starting the season 2-10, having the worst three-point shooting in the league and the roster being very unbalanced.
D'Angelo Russell and the newly acquired Lakers have been very promising in the regular season and are ready for the play-in game. via Official Lakers Website
It was not until after the trade deadline that things started to turn around. Since Feb. 11th and the All-Star break, the Lakers record has been the best in the Western Conference, which was 15-7.
The debut of the Lakers' new trade deadline additions Los Angeles has the best record in the West, the second-best win percentage in the NBA, and the sixth-highest net rating.
The Lakers also had the best defensive rating in the league and were giving up the second-lowest effective field-goal percentage to their opponents since the NBA trade deadline.
The Lakers won nine of their final 11 games to conclude the season, including a victory against Minnesota on March 31 by a score of 123-111. They also finished the season with a record of 43-39 and above the winning percentage of .500.
The Los Angeles Lakers completed the regular season with a victory against the Utah Jazz 128–117 and they will host the play-in game against the Minnesota Timberwolves this Tuesday night. The Lakers would be guaranteed a first-round matchup with the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies with a victory.
LeBron James was the top scorer overall with 36 points on 13 of 25 shooting, including an incredible 8 of 14 from beyond the arc.
With only 16 points on 15 shots, Anthony Davis had another offensively quiet day. With 13 rebounds, three assists, four blocks and three steals, Davis was able to fill out the remainder of the stat sheet.
With 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and five assists, D'Angelo Russell was the second-highest scorer for the purple and gold.
After their victory against the Jazz, LeBron James was asked about his preparation for the play-in game saying "Obviously it's different because usually in the postseason you have multiple days of prep for a team. But you literally have one day to prep [...] We've traveled a lot lately. It's good that we get to stay here, but we shouldn't be comfortable. We have to stay on edge and get ready for the game.", via Spectrum SportsNet.
D'Angelo Russell will face the team that acquired him at the trade deadline when the Lakers take on the Timberwolves in the play-in game. via David Berding Getty Images
The Timberwolves defeated the Pelicans with ease to move up to the eighth spot, but their victory was not without controversy. Rudy Gobert punched teammate Kyle Anderson during the game after the two got into a verbal altercation during a timeout. Gobert was then sent home and was out for the remainder of the game. He is now suspended for the play-in game against the Lakers.
James and Davis will need to set the tone and take the initiative because anything less than an all-out effort would put the Lakers into a game where they have to win.