Clippers give the Lakers a MASSIVE blow in the NBA playoff race with 125-118 victory as Russell Westbrook scores 14 points as LeBron James’ team falls short in an attempt to reverse the massive 24-point deficit
A victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night would have left the Lakers in fifth place in the Western Conference for the night, and most importantly, an automatic playoff spot.
Instead, they’ve stayed in seventh place and are now a game (and a tiebreaker) adrift to avoid the play-in tournament with only two games left.
In front of a largely pro-Lakers crowd at the Crypto.com Arena, the Clippers held off their LA rivals 125-118 without an injured Paul George after the teams entered the game with identical 41-38 records.
Kawhi Leonard finished the night with 25 points, Norman Powell held off the Lakers with 10 points in the third quarter (leading the team with 27), and Russell Westbrook scored 14 against the team that traded him two months ago.
For the Lakers, James had 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and Anthony Davis was limited to 17 in his first back-to-back return game since November (the Lakers beat the Jazz in overtime on Tuesday).
Russell Westbrook had 14 points and four assists against his former team
And Kawhi Leonard calmed the crowd with 25 points of his own on the night
Westbrook started the game but played only 21 minutes as the Clippers got 55 bank points
After going into halftime trailing 71–52, the Lakers continued to struggle in the third quarter as the Clippers’ lead grew to 24.
And while LeBron James’ team used a 19-3 run to cut the lead to eight and get back into the game, the Clippers never led by less than seven in the second half and went back by 20 in the last period.
Now the Lakers will try to keep pace in the play-in race and hope the Clippers or Warriors slip.
James’ team will finish their season against the Suns and Jazz on Friday and Sunday respectively, with Phoenix all but locked in the No. 4 and Utah unlikely to make the play-in.
The Lakers’ road to the playoffs got a lot tougher after losing to the Clippers on Wednesday
LeBron James 33 points, eight rebounds and seven assists were not enough for the Lakers
Meanwhile, the Clippers face the Blazers on Saturday before their season vs. Shutting down Phoenix on Sunday.
The Clippers decide their own fate for the fifth seed – for which they are currently tied – as they own the division record tiebreaker against the Warriors, who are now tied at 42-38.
Even if the Lakers can’t finish higher than seventh place, they’re going to want to stay in that spot to get a home win-and-play play-in game.
If they finish below eighth, they would need to win two road games in the play-in tournament to make the playoffs.
They currently have a one game lead over the ninth Timberwolves, who also have two games left.