The Los Angeles Lakers have done nearly everything they could to avoid the play-in tournament over the last calendar week, short of beating the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday in their final game of the year. However, as a result of their close loss to the Portland Trail Blazers a week ago, their fate isn’t just up to them. It also rests in the hands of the Denver Nuggets.
You see, the Blazers are tied with the Lakers in the standings at 41-30, and play the Nuggets in their final game of the season.