LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are headed to the lottery while Doc Rivers and the L.A. Clippers are likely headed to the NBA playoffs. Back when the 2018-19 season first started, not many predicted that the Clippers would earn a playoff berth as the Lakers look from the outside in.
Rivers and James have had their battles throughout the years. Rivers' Celtics got the better of young James and his Cavs teams. LeBron was finally able to get over the hump against the Celtics during his Heat days, effectively ending the Big 3's run in Boston.
Even with LeBron healthy and active for the most part, the Lakers have lost five games in a row, seven of their last eight, and 11 of 14 since the start of February. As a longtime opponent of James, Rivers was asked if it's tough at all to see a LeBron-led team out of the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season?
“I’m fine with it,” Rivers told ClutchPoints with a laugh. “I really am, I have no problems with it. I love LeBron, I love everything he stands for as a player & everything he stands for as a man, but he’s not on my team so I’m fine.
“I'm fine with no one making the playoffs but us if we can figure that out.”
The Clippers have run off four consecutive victories and have won seven of their last nine games. Their 38-29 record currently has them in a heated race with the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs for the 6th seed.
The Lakers, although not technically eliminated, are seven games behind the Spurs for the eighth seed with 16 games remaining. Their death blow was dealt when the Clippers defeated them and erased any chance that that the Lakers could win the season series with their cross-town rival. L.A. has already shut down Brandon Ingram (deep vein thrombosis) and Lonzo Ball (sprained ankle) while also starting to limit James' minutes the remainder of the season.
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