The Lakers are currently in the play-in tournament positions and will likely remain there over the final weeks of the season. If they can secure a top 8 seed, they must win just one of their two play-in tournament games to qualify for the 2024 NBA playoffs. The Lakers playoff spot has yet to be confirmed, and you can find free NBA odds on their postseason qualification.
Los Angeles Lakers Schedule
The Lakers have a manageable schedule in the final weeks of the season, but they will need to be at the top of their game in order to maintain their playoff position.
Los Angeles Lakers Remaining Games
| Date | Opponent | Home or Away |
| April 2nd | Toronto Raptors | Away |
| April 3rd | Washington Wizards | Away |
| April 6th | Cleveland Cavaliers | Home |
| April 7th | Minnesota Timberwolves | Home |
| April 9th | Golden State Warriors | Home |
| April 12th | Memphis Grizzlies | Away |
| April 14th | New Orleans Pelicans | Away |
The Lakers have a few winnable games left on their schedule but will need to take a couple of games off the top teams if they are expecting to secure a top-3 seed. The Raptors (23-51), Wizards (14-61), and Grizzlies (24-50) are three games Los Angeles cannot afford to drop, and they will need to go at least 2-2 against the Cavaliers (45-30), Timberwolves (51-23), Warriors (40-34), and Pelicans (45-29) in order to avoid the bottom half of the play-in tournament.
The Raptors, Wizards and Grizzlies are all well outside the playoffs and have nothing other than pride to play for at this stage of the season. They are missing huge chunks of their starting lineups, and the upper management will not be in a rush to get them back, as any wins at this stage for the bottom feeders will only hurt their future potential draft position.
The remaining four Lakers games will not be easy tasks, as all four are still jockeying for valuable playoff positioning. The Timberwolves are battling for the top seed in the West, the Cavaliers and Pelicans are battling for seeding, and the Warriors are still fending off the Rockets for the final play-in position. Los Angeles will need to pass these potential future playoff tests to better their regular-season record.
What Place are the Lakers in Right Now?
The Lakers are currently in 9th place in the Western Conference, with a record of 42 wins and 33 losses. The Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns are both within striking distance, as they have identical 43-31 records, tied for 7th place in the West. Below the Lakers, the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets threaten the Lakers’ place in 9th, as there are just 2 and 4 games separating them. A 9th place finish would require back-to-back play-in tournament wins to get the Lakers into the 2024 NBA playoffs. If LeBron James and co. can get into 8th or higher, they will need to win just one of their two possible play-in tournament games to qualify for the postseason.
