Here’s ESPN LA reporting on the Lakers, whose young squad is finally putting together some wins, but at a questionable time when taking the future of the franchise into consideration:
As the 3-pointer left D’Angelo Russell’s fingertips and lofted through the air, the game, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers’ draft odds, hung in the balance.
When the ball bounced on the lip of the rim and fell through, Staples Center erupted, which is the appropriate reaction when the home team wins.
But with the 110-109 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers’ fourth in a row, Los Angeles (25-55) missed an opportunity to make ground on the Phoenix Suns (24-57), who had defeated the Dallas Mavericks earlier in the night, as the Lakers battle to keep their top-three protected 2017 lottery pick.
For the first time since the 2012-13 season, when they won their final five games of the season, the Lakers have won four games in a row. This should be a cause for celebration — but these wins are coming at the worst possible time. With two games remaining on the Lakers’ schedule, and one for the Suns, their respective fates are likely set, which means the Lakers will head to New York on May 16 for the 2017 draft lottery with the third-best odds at the No. 1 overall pick and a 48.6 percent chance of keeping their lottery pick.
