Lakers News: Matchup Against Warriors on Saturday Could Determine Potential Playoff Fate

The Lakers need to bring a game-seven mindset against Golden State.

With the season coming to a close soon, every game for the Lakers matters even more. They are fighting for their postseason lives right now and are likely to end up playing in the play-in tournament once again.

This is of course barring any massive spark from the team to finish the regular season, but every game should be considered a must-win. They are just ahead of the Golden State Warriors, barely holding onto the 9th seed in the Western Conference standings.

After a poor game against the Sacramento Kings, the Lakers now head home for a few-game homestand, starting with a matchup against the Warriors. If anything, a win over Golden State would help the Lakers in their quest to stay ahead of Golden State, giving them a potential home game in any play-in matchup.

All things considered, this game against Golden State on Saturday may be the biggest of the season for Los Angeles.

"The Lakers return home for a four-game homestand before leaving on a 10-day, six-game road trip at the end of March. Saturday’s matchup with Golden State (34-31) is another must-win, considering that a victory for the Warriors would drop the Lakers to the No. 10 spot in the West and give Golden State a 2-1 lead in the season series."

Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic

Gaining an advantage over Golden State in the season series could allow the Lakers a crutch in the standings if they were to end with the same record. The two sides will play again in April, but this game on Saturday needs to be their game seven. 

It would also keep them in the running to potentially move up in the standings, as the next few games are mainly against teams that the Lakers should beat. These next couple of matchups, starting with the Golden State contest, will heavily influence where the Lakers land in the postseason race.