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The LA Lakers cruised to a 136-105 blowout home win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, bolstering their playoff odds as the season winds down.
Despite being without star point guard Trae Young (finger), Atlanta went up by nine points in the contest’s opening minutes. The Hawks appeared poised to pose a legitimate threat to LA.
However, the Lakers responded by closing the first quarter on a 36-17 run to take a 10-point edge heading into the second. They later extended their lead to as high as 35 points en route to their 31-point victory.
LA was led by a game-high 27 points, 10 assists and six 3-pointers from point guard D’Angelo Russell, who continued his late-season scoring surge. Meanwhile, Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for 47 points.
LA’s win snapped its two-game losing streak, helping it inch up the crowded Western Conference standings. However, the team still has considerable ground to make up to secure a top-six seed and avoid the play-in tournament.
On that note, here’s a brief snapshot of where the Lakers stand in the West playoff picture with 13 games remaining.
LA Lakers Playoff Picture: Standings
Following Monday’s victory over Atlanta, the Lakers (37-32) improved to ninth in the West. They are just 1.0 games up on the 10th-placed Golden State Warriors (35-32).
However, they have a comfortable 4.0-game cushion over the 11th-placed Houston Rockets (32-35). So, barring any dramatic setbacks, LA shouldn’t drop out of the play-in.
As for the Lakers’ chances of moving into the West’s top six, they trail the sixth-seeded Sacramento Kings (39-28) by 3.0 games. Meanwhile, 2.5 games separate them from the seventh and eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks (39-29) and Phoenix Suns (39-29).
So, a late-season winning streak could propel LA into the same tier as the three teams above it.
LA Lakers Playoff Picture: Schedule
As for the Lakers’ rest-of-season outlook, they have the league’s 19th-toughest remaining strength of schedule, with an average opponent winning percentage of .485.
Nonetheless, eight of their last 13 games come against teams above .500, including a crucial matchup against the Warriors with significant seeding implications. Meanwhile, eight of those 13 contests are road matchups.
So, despite not having the hardest strength of schedule, securing a top-six seed will likely be a daunting task for LA.
LA Lakers Playoff Picture: X-factor
While the Lakers’ offense has rounded into form over the season’s stretch run, their defense has slipped considerably.
Since Mar. 1, the Lakers have the NBA’s second-best offensive rating (121.1) but rank fourth-last in defensive rating (118.9). During that span, they have treaded water, going 4-4.
So, LA will likely need to step up its defensive effort drastically to close the season. If not, it could be left on the outside looking in come playoff time.
Also Read: Atlanta Hawks vs LA Lakers Player Stats and Box Scores for March 18, 2024
