The Lakers, without LeBron James, lost at home to the Wolves and also lost Anthony Davis for receiving a blow to the head in the first half. Davis had four points, four rebounds and three assists when he retired.
The Wolves caught up with the Denver Nuggets in command of the West and will play a direct clash with them on Wednesday with the possibility of dealing a key blow in the fight for first place.
Naz Reid was the best with a double-double of 31 points and eleven rebounds and Anthony Edwards had 26 points and eight assists.
James did not play due to symptoms of the common cold. and they decided not to force it ahead of the last week of the NBA regular season.
What games do the Los Angeles Lakers have left in the regular season?
The Lakers only have three games left to get a direct berth or go to the Play-In. This Monday they will play against the Golden State Warriors, a team that is also in the fight for a spot.
Then, Los Angeles will face the Memphis Grizzlies on the road on Friday and close the regular season on Sunday as a visitor to the New Orleans Pelicans.
LeBron James’ team is only a game and a half away from sixth place, which would avoid playing the Play-In. Currently the Phoenix Suns are in that position and have a more contested game than the Lakers.
The regular season and positions will be defined on the last day of the regular campaign. The Lakers depend on themselves to qualify and with some luck they could avoid playing the Play-In, a round they did not avoid last season.
New Orleans Pelicans defeat Suns and tie for sixth place
The Pelicans ended their four-game losing streak and achieved a great victory at the Suns’ field. to catch up with them in the fight for sixth place, which allows direct access to the playoffs.
CJ McCollum shined with 31 points and seven triples and Zion Williamson supported him with 29 points and 10 rebounds. For the Suns, Bradley Beal scored 30 points, Devin Booker scored 25 and Kevin Durant 23.
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