SUMMARY
- The Los Angeles Lakers take on the New Orleans Pelicans to secure the 7th spot for the playoffs.
- Beating the Pelicans means that the Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
Should the Los Angeles Lakers consider losing in their first play-in tournament game? As most NBA fans should be aware, the 82-game-long 2023-2024 regular season has come to an end. Although the Lakers played quite well towards the end of the season, the team finished as the 8th seed in the Western Conference and will face the New Orleans Pelicans to secure the 7th spot in the playoffs.
Since the play-in tournament follows a single-elimination format, one might assume that it would be in the Lakers’ best interest to beat the Pelicans and obtain the 7th position. However, there is also equal reason for them to desire the 8th spot. Considering that this claim has the potential to confuse NBA fans, a closer look is certainly required.
The Lakers would face the Denver Nuggets by securing the 7th seed in the West
Those who are familiar with the structure of the playoffs will know that the 7th seed and 2nd seed face off for the first round of the playoffs. It has already been confirmed that Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets occupy the 2nd spot and will face the winner of the Lakers-Pelicans play-in game.
Given the elite play that Jokic has put on display this season, it would be fair to claim that the Lakers have no interest in facing a rested Nuggets squad for the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. After all, this is the same team that swept them in the Conference Finals last season.
When did the Lakers last defeat the Nuggets?
It might startle Lakers fans to hear that the last time their team defeated Jokic and the Nuggets was back in December 2022. Since then the Lakers have been unable to win a single time in either the regular season or the postseason vs the Nuggets. The team didn’t manage to catch the NBA champions off guard and secure a win a single time this season. Moreover, the Lakers lost by double digits every single time.