LOS ANGELES — If there’s reason to be optimistic about the Lakers in a playoff setting, their 5-3 stretch from Feb. 25-March 10, one of their toughest stretches from a quality of opponent perspective, is something to point to.
But if there’s a reason to be more pessimistic about their postseason outlook, and their ability to even make it into a first-round series, it’s how they’ve handled games against teams closer to them in the league’s overall standings.
Friday night’s 101-94 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena was just the latest example.
The Lakers (38-32) pulled off their 14th victory in their last 21 games, but they squeaked by a 76ers team (38-32) that has been without reigning league MVP Joel Embiid (left knee) since early February and has struggled in his absence, going 9-15 since he’s been sidelined.
After a quiet first three quarters, including struggling with turnovers (seven), LeBron James (20 points, eight rebounds and six assists) stepped up in the fourth, scoring 11 points. His 3-pointer with 2:11 left gave the Lakers a 96-87 lead, their largest advantage of the night.
Anthony Davis took advantage of the 76ers’ lack of interior size, finishing with 23 points, 19 rebounds, four assists and four blocked shots as the Lakers snapped a seven-game losing streak in their matchups with the Sixers. The Lakers hadn’t beaten Philadelphia since March 3, 2020.
He blocked Tyrese Maxey (27 points) and Kyle Lowry in the final two minutes to help preserve the Lakers’ late lead.
All five Lakers starters scored in double figures. Rui Hachimura had 14 points, D’Angelo Russell had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists and Austin Reaves had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists. Spencer Dinwiddie made three 3-pointers and contributed 11 points off the bench, the most he’s scored since joining the team last month.
But even with the individual bright spots, the Lakers once again didn’t display the focus against the 76ers that they often do against the league’s top teams.
Their 21 turnovers, which led to 27 Philadelphia points, fueled the 76ers in transition (20 fast-break points allowed).
But the Lakers’ stout defense, which held the 76ers to 34.4% shooting, led them to victory.
The Lakers entered Friday 6-15 against opponents with a season-long point differential in the middle 10 compared to the rest of the league – 26th in the league and the worst among all teams with a winning record on the season, according to Cleaning The Glass.
Their minus-4.9 point differential in those matchups ranked 23rd, making them the only team with a winning record among the bottom 10.
More to come on this story.