LeBron James isn't getting caught up in the missed chances that have the Los Angeles Lakers fighting for a higher seed.
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LeBron James isn’t getting caught up in the missed chances that have the Los Angeles Lakers fighting for a higher seed in the Western Conference play-in tournament. Instead, he’s locked in on the job ahead — helping the Lakers secure a win against the Memphis Grizzlies when they face off on Friday night.
Sitting at ninth place in the Western Conference with only two games left in the regular season, Los Angeles (45-35) can’t snag a top-six seed anymore, but they’re not out of the game just yet.
As of Thursday, the Lakers were just half a game behind Sacramento for the eighth seed. If they manage to leapfrog the Kings, they’ll have a shot to lose a game in the play-in tournament and still stay alive.
In the play-in setup, the team that loses between the seventh and eighth seeds then faces off against the winner of the matchup between the ninth and tenth seeds. The team that loses in the ninth-tenth game is out of the running for the play-in. Despite a season full of ups and downs, James isn’t allowing himself to get caught up in hypotheticals. He’s solely focused on boosting his team’s chances in the play-in.
For the Grizzlies, Bane, Jackson, Morant, Oladipo, Rose, and Smart will not be playing the game. Besides, Konchar, Watanabe, and Williams are questionable for the game. As for the Lakers, Davis, Hood-Schifino, and Wood will be sitting this one out. Besides, Vanderbilt is questionable.
It seemed like the Lakers might have a shot at grabbing a top-six spot in the West after going 9-1 from March 18 to April 6, but they’ve hit a bump with back-to-back losses. Their latest defeat came against Golden State on Tuesday, with the Warriors shooting an incredible 63.4 percent (26 of 41) from beyond the arc. Despite LeBron James putting up 33 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, the Lakers fell short in a 134-120 loss.
Anthony Davis sat out the game due to headache and nausea. His availability for Friday’s game is uncertain. Memphis (27-53) is focusing on building momentum for next season after dealing with a rough campaign plagued by injuries.
In their recent stretch of nine games, the Grizzlies have had ups and downs, with a three-game winning streak sandwiched between two three-game losing streaks. They’re coming off a 110-98 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. Jake LaRavia had a stellar performance, hitting eight 3-pointers and scoring a career-high 32 points in the loss, while 19-year-old GG Jackson contributed 22 points.
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