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The LA Lakers secured a crucial 116-104 home win over the second-seeded OKC Thunder on Monday, continuing their quest to secure a playoff spot.
LA was led by a combined 50 points from superstar big man Anthony Davis and point guard D’Angelo Russell. Meanwhile, three other Lakers tallied 14-plus points, marking a well-balanced offensive attack.
However, despite the statement win, LA still has plenty of work to do to secure a top-six seed and avoid the play-in.
On that note, below is a brief snapshot of where the Lakers stand in the Western Conference playoff picture with 19 games remaining.
LA Lakers Playoff Picture: Standings
Following Monday’s victory over OKC, the Lakers (34-29) sit ninth in the West, just 0.5 games ahead of the 10th-placed Golden State Warriors (32-28).
However, they have a comfortable 5.0-game advantage over the 11th-placed Utah Jazz (28-34). So, barring any injury setbacks, LA should at least secure a play-in berth.
As for the Lakers’ chances of moving up into the West’s top six, they are just 2.0 games behind the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns (35-26). Moreover, they trail the fifth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans (36-25) by just 3.0 games.
Thus, each of LA’s remaining 19 games is critical.
LA Lakers Playoff Picture: Schedule
As for the difficulty of the Lakers’ remaining games, they have the NBA’s eighth-toughest strength of schedule, with an average opponent winning percentage of .519.
13 of their last 19 games come against teams above .500. That includes two matchups apiece against the Minnesota Timberwolves (43-19) and Milwaukee Bucks (41-21), two of the league’s top-five teams.
Fortunately for LA, 10 of its remaining 19 games are at home, including its next game against the Sacramento Kings (34-26) on Wednesday.
LA Lakers Playoff Picture: X-Factor
For the Lakers to secure a playoff spot, the health of their superstars remains the most important factor. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have stayed relatively healthy thus far, appearing in 55 and 59 of the team’s 63 games, respectively.
However, the Lakers will likely need their role players to continue to step up offensively, particularly, D’Angelo Russell. The former All-Star has been playing like a bona fide third-scoring option lately.
Over his last 11 games, Russell is averaging 21.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.5 3-pointers per game on 47.7% shooting.
If he can maintain that level of production, it would go a long way toward helping LA secure a top-six seed.
