times are CENTRAL-Visitor-HomeTime DETROIT (11-36) PISTONS ORLANDO (9-40) MAGIC6:00 pm LA (24-25) LAKERS CHARLOTTE (27-22) HORNETS6:30 pm (ESPN) - BOSTON (25-24) CELTICS- ATLANTA (22-25) HAWKS6:30 pm LA (25-25) CLIPPERS MIAMI (31-17) HEAT7:00 pm INDIANA (17-32) PACERS OKC (14-33) THUNDER7:00 pm PORTLAND (20-28) TRAILBLAZERS HOUSTON (14-34) ROCKETS7:00 pm DENVER (26-21) NUGGETS NO (18-29) PELICANS7:00 pm UTAH (30-19) JAZZ MEMPHIS (33-17) GRIZZLIES7:00 pm CHICAGO (30-17) BULLS SA (18-31) SPURS7:30 pm MINNY (24-24) TIMBERWOLVES PHX (39-9) SUNS8:00 pm NY (23-26) KNICKS MILLY (30-20) BUCKS9:00 pm (ESPN)CLUTCH FORMAT
Lakers start the night as #9 in the west, 3.5 games ahead of #10 Portland. That could very well be 2.5 games after tonight. Seems obvious they are willing to throw games now in order to get healthy later. And later, make a run and steamroll through the in-play tourney. If they are fully healthy, they should accomplish that. Two things though. 1) Missing a few games now doesn't guarantee health later 2) If WB is still around, even healthy, may not get past 2nd round. If they get neither, will they even get out of the in-play round?
I think LeBron hurt himself on the second steal-breakaway dunk against the Magic. Davis is crystal. Maybe he needs more calcium or something. That said, I think LeBron wouldn't mind if Vogel is fired and he and Davis will be healthy for the new coach. The Lakers will go on their run then. So, I'm not saying LeBron is in the process of getting Vogel fired, but he's in the process of getting another coach fired. He himself will tell you that he needs chaos. He gets bored with monotony and he doesn't take responsibility.