SUMMARY
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The Los Angeles Lakers are in danger of falling into the NBA play-in tournament, but LeBron James and Anthony Davis are hardly discouraged.
James and Davis said they have to play the cards they are dealt as the defending champion Lakers face the possibility of competing in the play-in round, where they have to fight for a playoff berth.
The Lakers are currently at No. 7 in the Western Conference.
Only the top six teams from each conference will advance directly to the playoffs, while the 7th to 10th placers will duke it out for the last two postseason seats through the play-in tournament.
“Let the chips fall where they may. Simple as that. We’re ready to go,” said James, who returned from a two-week absence and powered the Lakers to a crucial 122-115 win over the Indiana Pacers with a near triple-double.
Despite having an identical 41-30 record with No. 6 seed Portland Trail Blazers, the Lakers sit at 7th place by virtue of losing their season series.
The Trail Blazers own the tiebreaker after beating the Lakers twice in their three meetings this season.
In order for the Lakers to seize the 6th seed, they need to beat the New Orleans Pelicans and hope that the Blazers lose to the Denver Nuggets in their respective final regular season games.
But this is where it gets interesting for the Lakers.
The Nuggets may opt to lose against the Blazers in order to avoid an early playoff clash against the Lakers.
If the No. 3 seed Nuggets win, there is a potential that they may run into the team that eliminated them in the Western Conference finals last season as a Blazers loss will boost the Lakers’ chances of climbing to the 6th spot.
Still, the Lakers remain unfazed.
“We’re ready to play whatever game, whether it is the playoffs where we’re the 6th seed or we get into in the play-in as the 7th seed,” Davis said.
“That is not going to stop us one way or the other or take our mind off our goal. That is not going to give us any discouragement.” – Rappler.com
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