LA Lakers take aim at No. 3 spot against No. 2 seeds Houston Rockets
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic reacts to a play during the third quarter against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers have clinched a play-off spot, but they still have plenty to play for with two games remaining in the National Basketball Association (NBA) regular season.
They can move closer to grabbing the No. 3 seeding in the Western Conference when they host the second-placed Houston Rockets on April 11 (April 12, Singapore time) at Crypto.com Arena, before closing the regular season on April 13 at the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Lakers (49-31) officially punched their play-off ticket with a 112-97 road victory over the Dallas Mavericks on April 9. They are part of a tightly bunched group in the West, as five teams chasing Los Angeles have between 46 and 48 victories entering play on April 10.
“It’s an accomplishment, truthfully it is, if you look at the Western Conference this year. We want the third seed and we have two more cracks to guarantee that spot,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said of clinching a play-off spot.
Houston (52-28) have nothing to play for, after previously clinching the No. 2 seeding in the West.
The Rockets held out nearly all their key cogs on April 9 in their 134-117 loss to the hosts Los Angeles Clippers.
Alperen Sengun (back soreness), Jabari Smith Jr (left groin soreness), Fred VanVleet (right ankle soreness) sat out with injuries. All three are listed as questionable for the April 11 game, with “personal reasons” now listed as the cause of Sengun’s uncertainty.
Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson were rested on April 9. Veteran Steven Adams also did not play.
Jalen Green played 15 minutes and he will see some action on April 11 as he seeks to play all 82 regular-season games for the second straight season.
He would be the first Houston player to do so since Luis Scola, who played them all in three consecutive campaigns (2007-10).
The Rockets and Lakers split two games earlier this season. Led by Green’s 33 points, Houston posted a 119-115 home win on Jan 5 before Los Angeles had Luka Doncic on the roster.
In the rematch on March 31, Doncic was one of three Lakers to score 20 points as Los Angeles recorded a 104-98 victory. Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent each had 20 points and six treys in the contest.
At the FedExForum, Anthony Edwards scored 44 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 141-125 on April 10.
The result was the latest twist to a Western Conference battle for play-off places that has five teams tussling for three remaining automatic post-season berths.
Memphis, Minnesota and the Golden State Warriors now have identical 47-33 records with two games remaining, while the Denver Nuggets and Clippers are just ahead, both on 48-32.
Elsewhere, the Indiana Pacers made sure of a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference after edging past an under-strength Cleveland Cavaliers 114-112. REUTERS, AFP
