The Los Angeles Lakers managed to play 63 games (around three-fourths of the season) before the coronavirus wrapped its tentacles around the U.S., shutting down the NBA regular season prematurely. The Purple and Gold dominated while they were able to compete.
The combination of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, along with a group of talented role players who never overreached on the court, helped propel the Lakers to a top-five offense and defense. The Lakers were championship contenders throughout the season.
But, after the Purple and Gold beat the Bucks and Clippers in back-to-back games right before the shutdown, many experts started to shift them from “contender status” to the clear favorites to win the title.