On April 7, Beijing time, in an NBA regular season game that ended in the early hours of this morning, the Lakers defeated the Cavaliers 116-97 at home. After winning this game, the Lakers have a 45-33 record and overtook the Kings with a 44-33 record to move up to the eighth place in the West, which is the first time that the Lakers have returned to the top 8 in the West since December 29, 2023.
For Lakers fans, waking up to see the team win a big victory, winning 4 consecutive wins and rising to 8th in the West, although it is still in the play-off position, although it is only temporarily ranked 8th in the West, but at least the Lakers have the initiative in the later rankings.
Of course, behind the Lakers' rise to 8th in the West, the happiest may not be Lakers fans, but Warriors fans. Some people may think that if the Lakers win, how can Warriors fans be happy? But I want to say that those who are unhappy may just be Lakers black fans or James black fans, and real Warriors fans actually want to see the Lakers rise to the top 8 in the West.
Why? The reason is simple.
At present, the Warriors are 2.5 wins away from the Lakers, who are in 8th place in the West, and with 5 games left in the regular season, it is basically hopeless for the Warriors to chase 2.5 wins. So with only one life in the West being determined to be 9th or 10th in the West, the Warriors certainly don't want to play the Lakers in the first game of the playoffs.
The reason is also very simple, the Lakers have James, a player who never pulls his hips in key games, and in addition, there is a thick eyebrow that the Warriors can't solve.
Rather than playing the Lakers, the Warriors prefer to play the Kings in the first round of the play-offs. The reason is also simple, the Warriors have a psychological advantage against the Kings, and secondly, the current Kings team is plagued by more serious injuries, starting Huerter and Monk of the best sixth man are both injured. Such a Kings team is obviously much easier to play than the Lakers, and in the case of a single game, the Warriors obviously prefer to face the King.
In addition, the Pelicans, who are currently 7th in the West, are also plagued by injuries, and there is a chance to see the Lakers and Warriors advance to the playoffs at the same time in the future.