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The LA Lakers have fallen to 10th in the Western Conference after losing to the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. With two straight losses, the team is 10th in the West, behind the eighth-place Kings and ninth-placed Warriors, who all have 45-35 records. With two games left on the regular season for all three teams, the stakes couldn't be higher.
Should the Lakers finish ninth or 10th, they will only have one chance to win a knockout-style elimination game to keep playoff hopes alive. At the same time, the team could have to face the streaking Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament if the current standings hold.
While the Warriors had struggled early in the season and continued to fall down the Western Conference ladder, they've since found their rhythm. With Klay Thompson hitting his stride and several young players impressing, the team could be in a good position ahead of the play-in tournament.
Because of that, famed rapper Lil Wayne feels as though the Lakers should keep their fingers crossed to play the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament. During a recent episode of Fox Sports 1's Undisputed, he weighed in:
""I'd much rather see him play the Kings ... Because it's the warriors. You don't want to play the Warriors. They experience. They got Steph Curry over there, period. And, you know, I can't say the same for the Kings. I respect everybody over there."
Looking at the LA Lakers' record against both the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors this season
While the Golden State Warriors are finding their rhythm this season and have begun to hit their stride, the Lakers could be in trouble against Sacramento. This season, LA and the Kings have played four times, with the Kings sweeping the season series 4-0.
The two teams first played early in the season on Oct. 29 where Sacramento picked up a 132-127 overtime win at home. The two teams then ran things back on Nov. 15 in LA, with LeBron James and Co. falling 125-110.
Despite hopes of changing things around after the All-Star break, LA fell 130-120 March 6, and 120-107 on March 13. On the flip side, the Lakers have beaten the Warriors this season when the two teams have matched up, albeit only once.
The two teams met for the first time this season on Jan. 27, with LA winning a 2OT thriller 145-144. They then played on Feb. 22, with Golden State evening the season series with a 128-110 win.
With Golden State picking up momentum, they rattled off a 128-121 Mar. 16 win, and a 134-120 Apr. 9 win to close out the season series 3-1. Given that, it would appear, at least statistically, that LA's best chance in the play-in tournament would come against the Warriors.
However, as we have seen in the past, playoff pressure is the ultimate variable, and under the bright lights, Steph Curry has shown that he can shine.
