The Los Angeles Lakers were starting to look strong in late February and early March after multiple trades that remodeled and improved their roster, but that momentum is all but gone now.
Before they barely squeaked by a weak Orlando Magic team on Sunday, they had lost three of their previous four games, including an inexcusable loss to the Houston Rockets, who have the worst record in the Western Conference, last Wednesday.
Anthony Davis was held out of that contest as a precautionary measure after playing the previous night against the New Orleans Pelicans. Although it was reportedly a predetermined move by L.A.’s coaching staff, Davis has received lots of criticism as a result.
However, he will reportedly play in the Lakers’ last remaining set of back-to-back games this season, which will take place April 4 at the Utah Jazz and April 5 versus the Los Angeles Clippers (h/t Lakers Nation).
Via #thisleague Uncut podcast:
“I know he received some flack for (sitting out vs. Houston), just with the stakes that the Lakers are in, again, needing each game they can get in the latter stages of this regular season. But the way it was explained to me, Stein, is… just about how powerful the medical staffs of today’s NBA, how powerful they are today. I know a lot of players get criticized for load management, sitting out games and doing all that stuff, but the medical staff has a large part to play in that. So the way it was explained to me was that AD had to pick which back-to-back to play in: their back-to-back last week, and then their last back-to-back is… April 4 in Utah and April 5 Clippers. How it was explained to me is that AD will play in that back-to-back, so that would be his first back-to-back since returning from injury… that will be his first back-to-back playing in. Again, hopefully he doesn’t suffer an injury before that, but if he’s healthy, he will play in that back-to-back. Which they need that set of games at that point in the season more than their last set of back-to-backs.”
The Western Conference standings are closely bunched together between sixth and 12th place, and which teams reach the playoffs or play-in tournament may not be decided until the very end of the schedule.
As of now, the Lakers are in 11th place with a 35-37 record, and they’re just 1.5 games behind the sixth-place Golden State Warriors.
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