With just a few games remaining in the season, the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be in the driver's seat for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, that changed just a little bit with their loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Luka Doncic went down with a hamstring injury.
It's uncertain if Doncic will miss any time, but JJ Redick said that he was cleared to return in the second half; they just wanted to be cautious. It's uncertain how true that is, but if he has to miss extended time, that should be a cause for concern for the Lakers.
Not only will they be without their best player, but they're also just a game ahead of the Denver Nuggets in the standings. They do have the tiebreaker over the Nuggets, but all Denver needs to do is have a better record, and they'll pass them.
You also have to look at the remanding schedule for both teams. The Lakers play the Thunder and the Phoenix Suns, two playoff teams, as well as the Golden State Warriors, who will probably have Stephen Curry back by that time. They also have two winnable games against the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.
As for the Nuggets, they have a tougher hill to climb, as they face the San Antonio Spurs twice, the Thunder, and the Portland Trail Blazers to end the season. The only game that's really winnable is the one against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers may be safe just off the strength that the Nuggets have a tough remaining schedule, but without Doncic, things could get tricky for them.
Right now, the Lakers will have to lean on Austin Reaves and LeBron James to carry them, and hope that Doncic doesn't miss anytime on the floor.
