TORONTO —
The Lakers are kinda stuck between two desires, two plans of action for the last two weeks of the regular season.
On one hand, their run of good play over the last two months and a favorable closing schedule has given them a chance to play their way out of the back end of the NBA’s play-in tournament.
Continuing to win is the pathway to providing more cushion than a scenario where a single loss would end their season.
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But there’s another factor at play — the health of the team and, in particular, its stars.