LeBron James was watching from the sidelines as his Los Angeles Lakers fought extremely hard to beat the Orlando Magic tonight.
Austin Reaves put on an offensive masterclass, scoring 35 points and leading the team to a win. LeBron was courtside the entire time but decided to shout out the sophomore Reaves on Twitter.
James is expected to return to the Lakers before the regular season ends, so any wins the team can pick up with the star still out are greatly appreciated. The Lakers are now 35-37, tied for the final play-in spots with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They’re 1.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks in 6th.
Are The Lakers Still Competing For A Top-6 Seed?
The way the season has been playing out in the West, nobody can rule out the Lakers sneaking into the top 6 over the final 10 games of the season. It’s looking unlikelier but it is still a possibility. Depending on when LeBron James returns, the Lakers can hope to have a playoff run this season.
Even if the 6th seed is a bridge too far for them, they have to get into the 7-8 matchup for the play-in. They’re just half a game behind the 8th-seeded OKC Thunder and one game behind the 7th-seeded Golden State Warriors. The battle in the middle of the West has gotten extremely tough and the Lakers can’t afford silly losses anymore.
If they managed to win the games against Houston and Dallas, they would currently be 2 games over .500 and already looking like a lock for the 6th seed. That’s how quickly things change in the West, so nothing can be ruled out until it’s mathematically impossible.
Source: fadeawayworld
