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LeBron James and Anthony Davis were listed as questionable by the LA Lakers for the Play-In Tournament game against the Minnesota Timberwolves after their game against the Utah Jazz on Sunday. Fortunately, LA Lakers fans can rejoice as their two superstars have been upgraded to available for Tuesday night's crucial game.
The LA Lakers need to win Tuesday night's game against the Wolves if they want to qualify directly for the playoffs. Beating Minnesota guarantees them the 7th seed and will match them up against their rivals, the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Timberwolves are at a disadvantage at this point. Their star big man Rudy Gobert has been suspended after punching his teammate Kyle Anderson last Sunday. Their other defensive player, Jaden McDaniels, will also be unavailable due to a right-hand injury he suffered after punching a wall on Sunday. The Lakers will look to take advantage of the opportunity given to them.
If the LA Lakers advance, how will they fare against the Memphis Grizzlies?
If the LA Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, they will move on to the playoffs as the 7th seed. This means that the Lakers will be matched up against the Memphis Grizzlies. Both teams have bad blood with each other and perhaps have a score to settle after Dillon Brooks disrespected LeBron James in their previous matchup.
Dillon Brooks even stated that he wouldn't mind going up against the "King" in a seven-game series.
While it's a fact that the LA Lakers haven't found any postseason success after their 2020 championship run in the NBA Bubble, fans can't discount the fact that the purple and gold side has the experience advantage over the Grizzlies. However, Memphis has proven to be a dominant team in the West all season long. At this point, it'll possibly all come down to the mental aspect of the game.
What could defeat the Grizzlies is if their confidence clouds their judgment of the game. As for the Lakers, one way they could end up losing is if the team isn't synergized. It will be interesting to see who books their place in the playoffs.
