The Los Angeles Lakers are in imminent danger of missing the playoffs following a 122-109 loss to the Utah Jazz on Thursday night.
L.A.’s fourth straight loss, which came with LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined by injuries, dropped its record to 31-45 and left it outside the top 10 in the Western Conference.
The top six seeds in both conferences earn a direct postseason berth, while seeds Nos. 7 through 10 will take part in a play-in tournament.
Here’s a look at the updated standings in the West with less than two weeks left in the regular season:
And in the East:
There are playoff races to watch in both conferences over the final few weeks of the regular season.
The 10 teams in the East have been decided, with the bottom five having been mathematically eliminated from contention, but there’s still plenty of room for movement in terms of seeding.
That includes a race for the top seed that still includes the Heat, Bucks, Celtics and Sixers.
“It’s not the end-all, be-all. But it’s a really competitive race in the East and this is what you always want,” Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters
Meanwhile, the Suns have locked up the NBA’s best record and the West’s top seed, but there are still battles to earn a spot in the top six and also on the play-in fringe. The latter is led by the Pelicans, Spurs and Lakers, one of which will miss the playoffs.
A crucial game looms Friday night as Los Angeles hosts New Orleans.
“We have to stay in the fight and we have to give ourselves a chance. If we’re able to get into the play-in game at full strength, we know we got a shot,” L.A. head coach Frank Vogel said
The 2021-22 NBA regular season is scheduled to wrap up April 10.
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