On March 24, Beijing time, the Lakers lost 121-126 to Philadelphia in the absence of James. The Lakers have nine games left, and there is suspense in holding a playoff spot. The Pelicans in the 10th Place in the West are only 0.5 wins behind, while the Spurs at 11th in the West are only 2 wins behind. Now the situation is that these 3 teams are vying for 2 play-off spots.
The Remaining Schedule for the Lakers is tough, with six away games in nine games and frequent encounters with strong teams, two of which are against the Pelicans. For the Lakers, the two encounters with the Pelicans have become very critical, if the Lakers can win in both games, then the probability of getting a play-off seat will be very high, but if both games are lost, then the Lakers will be in big trouble.
The Lakers will play the Pelicans on the road on March 28 and the Pelicans at home on April 2. James took a break from the game on March 24 to give his knees a break, which would be tantamount to building up for the Pelicans. The Lakers clearly value this game very much, and the good news is that Westbrook's recent form has improved, and he has scored 20+ in four consecutive games.
However, the Lakers have not won a winning streak for a long time, and there are still many ups and downs in the state. In addition to the two hurdles against the Pelicans, the Lakers have 6 games to face the strong teams in the remaining games. On March 30, the Lakers played away to the Lone Rangers, on April 1 the Lakers played against the Jazz, on April 4 the Lakers played at home against the Nuggets, on April 6 against the Suns, on April 8 away against the Warriors, and on April 10 against the Nuggets.
It is worth mentioning that the Lakers played 3 games in a row from April 8 to April 10. Played the Thunder at home on April 9, which was the only opponent the Lakers were more likely to deal with in the rest of the game.
In contrast, the Spurs and Pelicans' schedules aren't as tough. However, the Spurs and pelicans also have to play once, and the Pelicans play the Spurs at home on March 27. This match is also crucial.
The Lakers are now confident, with Stanley Johnson saying, "Our goal is a championship, and it remains." Stanley Johnson also said: "When things get bad, you have to look at your own problems. It's a showdown between men and we have to change the status quo. ”
Vogel said in an interview: "Our goal is to improve the vitality of the team, to uphold the faith, to maintain self-confidence, to believe that we can play in the playoffs, and win the playoffs, into the playoffs." ”