The Lakers’ playoff destiny hung in the balance as their star player, LeBron James, returned on Saturday, teetering between making the playoffs outright or having to compete in the play-in tournament.
After James was sidelined due to an ankle injury, the Lakers tumbled in the NBA standings, slipping from second to seventh place in the Western Conference. However, their triumph over the Indiana Pacers brought them close to avoiding the play-in tournament, a new addition to the NBA schedule that James had criticized.
Their path to the playoffs relied on winning their matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday and hoping that Portland (currently sixth in the Western Conference) would lose to the Denver Nuggets. While the Lakers accomplished their mission by defeating the Pelicans by 12 points, Portland emerged victorious with a 132-116 win over Denver, solidifying the Lakers’ fate.
The Lakers will face off against the Golden State Warriors next on Thursday, setting the stage for an eagerly anticipated showdown between James and Stephen Curry, who recently became the oldest NBA scoring champion since Michael Jordan.
Curry’s team secured the eighth spot behind the Lakers after triumphing over the Memphis Grizzlies in their season finale on Sunday. The Grizzlies finished in ninth place.
