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The LA Lakers (40-38) are now just one game behind the Golden State Warriors (41-37) for the fifth seed in the Western Conference. LeBron James’ squad also trails the LA Clippers (41-38) by half a game for the sixth spot and outright playoff berth.
As the Lakers made another move in the standings, fans quickly reacted:
"As a Lakers fan we want the Suns"
The LA Lakers started 0-5 and tied a franchise-worst 2-10 record after 12 games following their loss to the Sacramento Kings on November 11. They were 32-34 after the trade deadline and 12th in the Western Conference.
Since the All-Star break, the Lakers have gone 13-6 even with LeBron James missing 13 games due to a right foot injury. They have now surged to the 7th spot with still four games left on their schedule.
The LA Lakers could even possibly grab a top-four finish as the Phoenix Suns (42-35) are only 2.5 games ahead of them. It's an extremely difficult scenario, but it's still possible.
Only one team made it to the playoffs in NBA history after a 0-5 start. The Washington Wizards did it during the 2020-21 season behind Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. It looks like the Lakers will accomplish the same feat with the way they have been playing.
The LA Lakers could become the first team to make it to the postseason after losing 10 of their first 12 games. LeBron James, Anthony Davis and their teammates are peaking at the right time.
They are 6-1 in their last seven games and are looking like a tough matchup for any higher-seeded team in the postseason. If James and Davis are healthy, which they seem to be, teams may want to avoid them in a seven-game series.
The LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns may be the most intriguing and biggest first-round matchup in the playoffs
The last time the LA Lakers reached the playoffs, they led the Phoenix Suns 2-1 before eventually losing in six games. Anthony Davis told the media last year that they would have beaten the Suns had he and LeBron James been healthy.
There's no love lost between the Lakers and the Suns. In the first meeting between the two teams this season, former Laker Patrick Beverley was ejected for shoving Deandre Ayton. "Pat Bev" may no longer be with the Lakers, but the animosity didn't go with the fiesty point guard to Chicago.
If they meet in the playoffs this season, it may be the biggest and most exciting matchup of the first round or any round. Kevin Durant and LeBron James last faced off in the postseason in 2018 when KD's Golden State Warriors swept James' Cleveland Cavaliers.
Durant also has Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton by his side to form perhaps the deadliest four-man group in the NBA. They would be great opponents for James, Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.
