Kirby Lee- US Presswire
What a shocker to us all this season has been! The expectations for the Los Angeles Lakers were astronomical! Many of us saw the roster Micth Kupchak assembled prior to the start of the season, and many of us believed that the Lakers were destined for at least a championship appearance, but alas that wasn’t the case.
Now, we see the all-mighty franchise still battling for a playoff with only one game left. However, there is a sliver lining to this anxiety-ridden situation. The Lakers can potentially sneak their way into the 7th seed of the playoffs with a win on Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets. How you may ask?
Allow me to explain this rather convoluted situation. If the Lakers defeat the Rockets, they will both finish the year 45-37 and split the season series 2-2. This means the tie-breaker comes down to who has won more conference games, which the Lakers so happen to have the advantage in.
Acquiring the 7th seed would be great for the Lakers because it would mean that they’d meet the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Spurs are a great team, but they’re dealing with injuries, fatigue and were just defeated by the Lakers just a couple of days ago. The advantage that the Lakers have over the Spurs, an advantage that I’ve discussed numerous times, is their post game.
Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol have been playing excellently, and will have to continue doing so come post-season time. They’ve already proven they can beat up the Spurs on the boards in their last game, what’s to say they can’t replicate that in a 7 game series?
