With the Western Conference being a tight race, this will be a twice-weekly series looking at the Western Conference standings and the games to watch as the Lakers looking to get back into the playoffs.
The Lakers took care of business this weekend, winning both of their matchups. With the Warriors of the Golden State After losing its last two games, Los Angeles sits comfortably in ninth place in the West, with an opportunity to close the gap to eighth.
The biggest game the Lakers have direct influence on this week is their matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, but here are the other games fans should keep an eye on that have standings implications.
Games to Watch
Monday
Suns among the Cavaliers — THE Cleveland Cavaliers beating the Suns would put the Lakers just a game and a half out of sixth place and out of the play-ins. Los Angeles has the tiebreaker against the Suns, so as tough as things are for the Lakers, they can still reach a sixth place finish and avoid single elimination situations.
Mavericks at the Bulls — Dallas had a bounce-back weekend, winning both of its games. But the Bulls have played well, winning three of their last four games on this West Coast road trip. Chicago has already helped Los Angeles by beating the Kings and Warriors recently, so hopefully they can do it one more time, beating Dallas at home.
Warriors at Spurs — Last week, the Spurs beat the Warriors even without Victor Wembanyama. Can they replicate this result with Wemby returning? The big question for the Warriors is whether Steph Curry will play. It’s likely and they need every win if they want to get out of the tenth hole, but Golden State needs to be careful not to push their star beyond their comfort level.
Tuesday
Dollars among kings — Can Milwaukee demonstrate its dominance and beat a good Sacramento Kings team? They will be on the road and Sacramento is coming off a tough defeat against the Houston Rocketsso we’ll see if Milwaukee can do a solid on the Lakers before the Lakers face the Kings the next day.
Wednesday
Mavericks at Warriors — Either way, the Lakers will benefit here. The Warriors’ loss will ensure that the Lakers do not fall to tenth. The Mavs’ loss means the Lakers can move into eighth if they beat the Kings on Wednesday.
THURSDAY
Mavericks at Thunder — On the second night of a back-to-back, the Mavericks take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road in another tough game. The Thunder should be favored because they will be at home, more rested than Dallas and, potentially, the national television spotlight will add some juice to their game.
Suns at Celtics — I’m tired of supporting the Celtics. This happens when you simply can’t control what you can control and you need help to improve it. your positioning. Boston is a good team and has only lost three games at home, so they will be favored in this matchup, even with Kevin Durant on the other side.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.
