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If the regular season ended today, the Golden State Warriors would host the LA Lakers in the play-in tournament. The two teams hold identical 45-35 cards but as the Dubs won the season series 3-1, Golden State drops LA to the 10th spot. Under the said scenario, the winner of the Warriors-Lakers showdown will move on to face the loser of the matchup between the seventh and eighth seeds.
But, with two games remaining for both the Warriors and the Lakers, things could still significantly change depending on how the Sacramento Kings (45-35) will perform.
If De’Aaron Fox and Co. continue to slide, the Tinseltown squad or the Bay Area team can still chase them down. The Kings, however, own the tiebreaker against the Warriors and the Lakers so if they all end up with the same record, Sacramento keeps the eighth seed.
A mouthwatering Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers showdown is far from guaranteed
The Golden State Warriors can grab the eighth seed if they go unbeaten in their last two games and the Sacramento Kings falter, finishing 0-2 or 1-1. The Kings can prevent that scenario by beating the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers in their last two games. Or, they can match whatever record the Dubs end up having and they still get the edge.
The LA Lakers can leapfrog both teams if they don’t lose again while the Warriors and the Kings both end up 0-2 or 1-1. If Los Angeles gets the same win-loss card as any of the two teams in its remaining two games, it remains stuck at 10th.
With the way the Golden State Warriors have been playing, winning all but one of their last 10 games, overtaking Sacramento is a big possibility. To go where they want to be, the Dubs would have to beat the New Orleans Pelicans before hoping the Utah Jazz will not play spoilers.
The LA Lakers can move out of the hellish 9th-10th spots but they will have to sweep their remaining two games. They also need the other two pursuers to wilt under pressure, which is highly unlikely, especially for the Dubs.
So, very likely the Warriors could end up 8th to face whoever falls between the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns. The Sacramento Kings could hold on to 9th as they own the tiebreaker versus LA and host LeBron James and Co. in the play-in tournament.
The Warriors and the Lakers could still eventually meet in the play-in tournament
The first scenario sees the Golden State Warriors and the LA Lakers meet in a win-or-go-home showdown as the 9th and 10th seeds. Whoever wins will live to fight another day while the loser gets a long vacation.
The second situation can happen if the Warriors own the 8th spot but lose to either the New Orleans Pelicans or the Phoenix Suns. Phoenix or New Orleans punches a playoff ticket as the 7th seed while the Dubs will face the winner of the LA Lakers’ matchup against the Sacramento Kings. If LA wins, it gets another shot at the Dubs for the final playoff berth.
The third situation will be a reversal of how the Golden State Warriors and LA perform in their respective remaining two games. LA gets 8th and loses to either Phoenix or New Orleans to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Warriors meet and then beat the Kings for a showdown with the Lakers.
Golden State Warriors vs LA Lakers head-to-head this season
The LA Lakers drew first blood against the Golden State Warriors in the season series. Behind LeBron James’ staggering 36-point, 20-rebound and 12-assist performance, the Lakers escaped with a 145-144 victory in a two-overtime classic.
The next three encounters were closely fought but the Warriors were the clear winners. LA’s 134-120 loss on Tuesday was the backbreaker as the season series went to the Dubs. Overtaking Steph Curry’s team in the last few games of the regular season will be tough due to that defeat.
Curry and LeBron James show up big-time every time their two teams headline the NBA. It will be no different if they face off again before the playoffs start.
