Lakers Playoff Watch: Win Over Jazz Could Solidify LA's Position In Standings

Seventh-seeded Los Angeles is looking like a sure-fire play-in bet.

Your seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers are currently tied in the loss column (38 defeats) with three other Western Conference clubs: the 41-38 Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors and the 40-38 New Orleans Pelicans and Lakers.

That could all change tonight. 10 West play-in or playoff clubs will be active, and there could be significant movement in the standings. 

Let's unpack some of the most pertinent contests, beyond the Lakers' own impending game against the 36-42 Utah Jazz tonight, which could help continue to shut the door on the 12th-seeded Jazz's season.

• The Warriors will host a chippy 38-41 Oklahoma City Thunder team (currently the 10th seed). Prodigal son Andrew Wiggins will return, albeit merely as a visitor on the bench, but there is hope he can return for the Dubs' last few regular season games. A Golden State loss and a Lakers win would shift the Warriors into the play-in tournament bracket, and move LA into the conference's sixth seed.
• New Orleans will be playing the 47-31 Sacramento Kings. Behind the strong recent play of ex-Laker Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games, and even without Zion Williamson could be a tough playoff out. LA fans should root for the Kings, who are uncatchable, to defeat the Pelicans, which would further solidify the Lakers' standing.
• The West's ninth seed, the 39-40 Minnesota Timberwolves, losers of three straight, will face off against the 43-35 Brooklyn Nets. A Nets win would help create a bit more distance between the Lakers and Wolves.
• The 52-26 Denver Nuggets, 49-29 Memphis Grizzlies, and 43-35 Phoenix Suns will face off against three tanking Western Conference teams: the 19-60 Houston Rockets, the 33-45 Portland Trail Blazers, and the 20-58 San Antonio Spurs, respectively. None of these games are particularly pertinent to LA's playoff aspirations, but probable wins all around will help burnish these clubs' standings in the top four of the West.

There's plenty of watch tonight, in addition to just hoping the Purple and Gold performs well.

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