Three Things to Know

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Mike Trudell

The Lakers (0-3) face elimination on Saturday evening after dropping Game 3 at home on Thursday, with the Nuggets increasing their playoff win streak against the Lakers to seven. The game tips off at 5:30 p.m. PT on ABC, with the pregame show on Spectrum SportsNet starting at 4:30 p.m.

THIRD QUARTER WOESAfter Thursday evening’s difficult Game 3 loss, I asked Austin Reaves what he thought was the difference not just in that game, but across the three games thus far.

“Our third quarters have been atrocious,” summarized the third-year guard.

He is right. Here’s the scoring margin thus far:

Game 1: 32-18 DenverGame 2: 25-20 DenverGame 3: 34-22 Denver

That’s a total of 91 points for Denver to 60 for the Lakers.

After hearing from Reaves, I relayed his thought to LeBron to see what James thought was going on.

“We spent so much energy in the first half building leads, defensive intensity that we have, that we come out in the third quarter with not much energy, kind of lose track to attention to detail that we had in the first half,” LeBron responded. “And you give credit where credit is due with Denver. Those guys make tough shot after tough shot after tough shot.”

Needless to say, if the Lakers have any chance of winning Game 4, they’ll have to figure out how to turn things around in the third quarter.

LOSING THE REBOUNDING WARAnother area of consistent struggle for the Lakers has come on the backboard, which Denver has now controlled for five straight meetings:

Game 3: 51-38 (14-8 offensive)Game 2: 36-34 (9-4)Game 1: 49-40 (15-6)March 2: 47-31 (11-6)Feb. 8: 50-39 (14-10)

“Sometimes it’s the guards on bigger guys, but other times it’s just simple boxing out or going to get it,” said Anthony Davis, who’s averaging 13.3 boards per game, with no other Laker over LeBron’s 6.7. “There were times tonight where (Nuggets players) missed shots and got their own rebound; I think everyone (on the Lakers) is anticipating the other guy going to get it, instead of one of us (just getting) it.”

Sometimes rebounding is simply about personnel, and the Nuggets have one of the NBA’s biggest front lines, with both Nikola Jokic (6’11’’) and Aaron Gordon (6’9’’) dominant on the backboards for different reasons*, plus Michael Porter Jr. (6’10’’).

*Jokic is massive and takes up a ton of space, is intelligent and has the best hands in the NBA, while Gordon is one of the best athletes in the world and has great instincts on the offensive glass.

With Jokic averaging 40.0 minutes per game, Gordon 37.7 and MPJ 37.0 in the postseason, the Lakers have countered with 42.0 minutes for Davis and 40.3 for LeBron. Their third frontcourt starter, Rui Hachimura, has grabbed just 3.3 boards in his 32.3 minutes. And in Game 3, Jaxson Hayes was removed from the rotation after playing just 10 total minutes in Games 1 and 2, leaving the rest of the minutes dispersed among, basically, five guards: Austin Reaves (5.0 boards); D’Angelo Russell (3.0); Taurean Prince* (2.7); Spencer Dinwiddie (1.3) and Gabe Vincent (2.0).

*Prince often plays one of the forward spots, but averaged 2.9 boards per game this season.

In other words, the Lakers have almost always been smaller than the Nuggets, especially with any type of bench lineup at all. In the times they’re closer to matching size (when Hachimura is in with both AD and LeBron), there’s still behind the rebounding eight ball.

In fairness, the Lakers have been without their second and fourth best rebounders this season, per 36 minutes, as Christian Wood (10.5 per 36) and Jarred Vanderbilt (8.6) have been injured for most of the second half of the season. Wood is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game, meaning he could make his postseason debut.

THE POSSESSIONS GAMEThe Lakers are losing the possessions margin in this series due in part to the rebounding gap, and also due to the turnover margin being in Denver’s favor, 33 to 26. In theory, LAL would to make up for that by being the more efficient shooting team, and by a considerable margin.

The Nuggets have made 46.4% of their shots overall, though just 26.9% from 3, relative to L.A.’s 49.0% overall, and 30.2% from three. But L.A.’s 3-point volume has been low, and they’ve hit only 26of 86 attempts from distance, to Denver’s 28 of 104.

Game 3 was the roughest for the Lakers from this standpoint, as they hit only 5 of 27 3’s, four of which came in the fourth quarter when the game was largely decided, after just 1 of 14 triples fell in the first three quarters. Denver didn’t shoot the ball well either, but they hit 5 of 22 3’s in the first three quarters, before missing all six of their fourth quarter looks.

The Lakers typically have a big advantage at the charity stripe, having attempted 24.1 per game in the regular season to rank 2nd, and allowed just 18.0 (2nd), for a net of +6.1

Denver, meanwhile, ranked 29th with 19.7 attempts, and allowed 22.0 (20th), a net -2.3.

Yet, the Lakers have taken only four free throws more than the Nuggets, and both teams have made the same amount: 39.

Anthony Davis is doing his part, leading the Lakers with 20 free throw attempts, helping him towards his team-best 32.3 points, plus 13.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 blocks and 0.7 steals in the three games thus far.

Nonetheless, without an advantage on the glass, turnovers, 3’s or free throws, it’s easier to understand how the Lakers are down in the series.

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Three Things to Know: Game 4-Lakers vs. Nuggets 4-27-24

The Lakers (46-35) pulled out a win that was more difficult than expected at Memphis on Friday night, and also got some help in the standings with the Warriors and Kings both losing tight games, setting up the Lakers for a chance to secure the No. 8 seed if they can beat New Orleans (49-32) on Sunday afternoon. The game tips at 12:30 p.m. PT on Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum SportsNet+ and ESPN (available nationally, but not locally).

WHAT’S AT STAKEHere are the standings after a huge night in the NBA on Friday, with the Lakers beating Memphis, New Orleans beating Golden State and Phoenix beating Sacramento, as LAL moved from 10th to 8th:

6) New Orleans (49-32): vs. LAL7) Phoenix (48-33): @ MIN8) Lakers (46-35): @ NOP9) Kings (45-36): vs. POR10) Warriors (45-36): vs. UTA

IF: LAL 0-1THEN: GSW* 0-1; SAC 0-1;  *BOTH SAC and GSW own tiebreaker over LAL

PELICANS MATCHUPThe fourth and final meeting between the Lakers and Pelicans can be informed by the previous three, including two Lakers wins, and one NOP victory.

The first matchup came with high stakes, the In-Season Tournament Semifinal, which ended up being one of L.A.’s best performances of the season.

While the Pelicans trailed by only one after the first quarter, LAL blew off their doors from the second quarter on, racing to a 133-89 final score that showed off the power of LeBron and AD plus a cast of supportive talent playing impressively. The Lakers outscored NOP by 14 in the 2nd Q, before a 43-17 storming in the third quarter. LeBron scored 30 points with eight assists and no turnovers in three quarters of work, while Davis again controlled the paint on both sides of the basketball, amassing 15 boards, two blocks, two steals and five assists. Austin Reaves, then coming off the bench, added 17 points, plus seven assists.

That would end up being New Orleans’ 2nd-least efficient game of the season as they managed just 86.4 points per 100 possessions. They would pick it up on offense in the next two meetings, including a 129-109 home victory on Dec. 31 in which the Pels seemed determined to show that they were better than the team that LAL pounded on Dec. 7. New Orleans scored 42 points in the 1st Q, and the Lakers were on a highly-difficult tail end of a back-to-back in which they were all the way up the Mississippi River in Minnesota on the previous evening.

New Orleans scored efficiently again in the third meeting, a total of 124.9 points per 100 possessions including their Dec. 31 victory, but they had trouble handling L.A.’s offense in a 139-122 blowout that featured a ridiculous 51-point 3rd quarter for the Lakers. All five Lakers starters scored at least 20 points, led by 30 from D’Angelo Russell, and 27 from Austin Reaves.

However, the Pelicans have picked up their defense in the past few weeks, and should put up a more stiff fight, even as the Lakers do seem to have a good mix of inside and outside attacks to challenge New Orleans.

ZION’S IMPROVEMENTBack in the IST Semis, Zion Williamson took a look of heat after he was held to just 13 points in 26 minutes against the Lakers. LeBron took on part of the defensive challenge, as one of the few NBA players strong enough to stay with Zion physically, with AD awaiting Williamson at the rim.

Zion has steadily ticked up his production since December, though, posting these totals:

December: 20.4 ppg, 4.3 apgJanuary: 21.0 ppg, 4.3 apgFebruary: 23.9 ppg, 6.5 apgMarch: 24.1 ppg, 4.8 apgApril: 25.5 ppg, 4.8 apg

Zion has played 34.5 minutes per game in the six April games, after managing just 29.6 mpg in December. Meanwhile, his usage rate is 33.4% in April, a season-high, which ranks 4th amongst players averaging 30 minutes per game, via StatFactor.

The former No. 1 overall pick continues to take nearly all of his shots in the paint: 96.9% of his attempts come near the rim. In fact, he’s taken 1,081 FGA’s this season, and only 33 are outside the paint, including a made triple against Golden State on Friday.

Thanks to the combination of Davis, LeBron and Rui Hachimura, the Lakers are one of the few NBA teams that have three players with the combination of strength and athleticism to bother Zion. Nonetheless, he still managed 26 points and six assists in the NOP win, and 30 points with five assists in the February loss, as he upped his production in each game.

With Brandon Ingram set to return for his first game in a few weeks due to a knee hyperextension, how the Lakers handle Zion may prove to go a long way towards the result.

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Three Things to Know: Lakers at Pelicans 4-14-24

Darius Soriano

After going 5-1 on their six-game road trip, the Lakers (44-33) are back home and will face off against the Cavaliers (46-31) for the final time this season on Saturday afternoon. The game is an early 12:30 p.m. PT tip on Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum SportsNet+.

Below are three things to know ahead of the matchup.

LAKERS PUSHING TOWARDS 8THWinners of eight of their last 10, the Lakers have been doing their part to try to move up in the standings but none of the teams ahead of them have been cooperating in the ultra-competitive west. That, however, has begun to change with both the Pelicans (four straight) and the Kings (two straight) on losing streaks while dealing with injuries to key players.

With both teams losing on Friday, the Lakers are now in a tie with the Kings (who are in 8th due to them owning the tiebreaker) and just a game behind the 7th-seeded Pelicans. And with both teams off on Saturday, a Lakers win over Cleveland could propel them into 8th over the Kings while bringing them to within a half-game of New Orleans.

More important than that, however, is the fact that the Lakers now control their own destiny to pass the Pelicans. Since they play New Orleans on the final day of the regualr season, if the Lakers win out, they are guaranteed to hand the Pelicans at least one more loss, which would not only guarantee at least a tie in the standings but the tiebreaker to move past them should it occur.

Things are not as simple against Sacramento since the Lakers would need to finish with one more win than them due to the tiebreaker. That said, both the Pelicans and the Kings still play each other and have some challenging games remaining on their schedule (just as the Lakers do), which could position the Lakers to pass them if things break a certain way.

Below are the final five games for each team:

Of course, irrespective of what those other teams do, the Lakers must focus on themselves and take one game at a time to control what they can control -- an idea they have preached since before their road trip started. And an idea that is even more true now, especially since they can ensure they move up in the standings by handling their own business.

A QUICK TURNAROUNDThe NBA season is a marathon, but this final stretch of the season can often feel like a sprint, particularly for a Lakers team that just zigzagged across North American on a six-game road trip only to jump right back into game action what can feel like not a lot of time to recover after returning home.

Because while the Lakers did get two full days off after completing their road trip on Wednesday night, playing their first game after returning at 12:30 p.m. on that third day does cut into their typical recovery time. After the Lakers returned from their last six-game road trip in early February, their first game was also on the third day back, but was a 7:00 p.m. start time for that first home game, giving them that extra few hours to settle into a normal routine and all the benefits that come with that.

Beyond the early start on Saturday, the Lakers jump into game action on Sunday for a back-to-back against Minnesota, and then after one day off will play their third game in four days when they face Golden State on Tuesday. That stretch will end up being the Lakers ninth consecutive game that was part of a three-game in four-nights stretch, which, while not unheard of, is rare and will certainly test them mentally and physically -- especially when factoring in the stakes these games carry due to their standings implications.

In saying that, the is no room for excuses or self-pity when it comes to these sorts of things. The schedule is not generous, but as the team ramps up for what they hope will be another extended postseason run, these are the types of games and circumstances that can steel them for what they want to accomplish.

CAVS RECENT STRUGGLESWhile Cleveland finds themselves in a similar standings fight as the Lakers as they try to secure a top-three seed in the east, they do not come into Saturday's game playing as well as they were earlier in the year in their race up to the spot they're now working to secure.

The Cavs are just 4-6 in their last 10 games and after winning 19 of 20 from January 3rd through February 10th, they are just 11-15 in 26 games since that streak and have not won more than two games in a row. Much of these struggles have coincided with injury challenges, especially to Donovan Mitchell who has dealt with a knee issue as well as a broken nose.

Mitchell has played in three of the Cavs' last four games, but his offensive efficiency has not been at his normal level -- especially from behind the arc. The Cavs lost two of those three games, with both losses coming in blowout fashion to the Nuggets and the Suns.

Despite these results, the Cavs must be taken seriously and should in no way be overlooked. Even though Mitchell is working his way back into form, he's too good a player to be discounted, and the team still has a lot of talent in both their starting lineup with Darius Garland, Max Strus, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley as well as their reserve core with Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Sam Merrill. This is a team that can defend the paint and get hot from behind the arc, giving teams fits on both ends of the floor when they're playing well.

For the Lakers, then, this is a game that will require them to bring a focus and level of play that exceeds what was required to close out their road trip against teams that were not to the caliber of this Cleveland group. They will need to be sharp on both ends of the floor, and not mistake the Cavs' recent struggles with them being a bad team.

That said, the Lakers have been very good at recognizing what is needed each game and bringing the requisite urgency in each matchup to close out this season. Do that again in this game and they will put themselves in good position to keep their momentum going.

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Three Things to Know: Lakers vs. Cavaliers 4-6-24

The Lakers (38-32) are back in action Sunday night when they host the Indiana Pacers (40-31) in a rematch of the In-Season Tournament championship game back in December. The game tips at 7:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet and NBA TV.

RUSSELL'S RECORDWith his 1st made three-pointer against the 76ers on Friday night, D'Angelo Russell became the Lakers record holder for most threes made in a single season. It came after a beautiful skip pass from LeBron who put the ball right into D-Lo's shooting pocket, and then Russell finished the job with one of his patented quick-release jumpers as the defense bore down on him to contest the shot.

Russell passed fellow southpaw Nick Van Exel who made 183 threes on 35.8% shooting in his 2nd NBA campaign (7th most in the NBA that year), way back in the 1994-95 season. Of players in the top-15 in makes that season, Van Exel's percentage ranked 14th, though on more difficult looks due to the off-the-dribble nature of many of his looks.

For comparison's sake, D-Lo's 187 made threes currently rank 15th in the NBA this year, but his 42.3% accuracy ranks 2nd of those in that top-15 of makes. This is Russell's best three-point shooting percentage season of his career, nearly a full three percentage points higher than his 2nd best mark -- which came last season in his combined stretches between the Wolves and the Lakers.

Further, Russell has been great at both catch-and-shoot triples and those of the more difficult pull-up variety, shooting 44.5% on the former and 38.6% on the latter, making defenses pay regardless of whether he's self-creating his buckets or if he's being setup for them by a teammate. But where Russell is absolutely destroying defenses is when he's left open, making 43.5% of his "open" attempts and 45.2% of his "wide open" ones per the NBA's tracking data.

Being able to make the defense pay to this degree is not only a great driver of the Lakers offense this season, but has left him holding a franchise record.

RUI'S HOT SHOOTINGWhile one might expect Russell to shoot the ball as well as he has, the accuracy Rui Hachimura is flashing might be a bit more of a surprise. Simply put, Rui has been one of the Lakers best shooters this season -- and from all over the floor -- and has really been on a heater of late, leading to what is arguably the best shooting season of his career.

For the season, Rui is connecting on 52.8% of his field goal attempts, the first time in his career he has cleared the 50% threshold. And from beyond the arc, the results are nearly as impressive. Rui has made 41.1% of his threes so far this year, the second-highest percentage of his career (he shot 44.7% in the 2021-22 season in Washington). That said, the volume of threes Rui has taken and made have already surpassed that season, and his 74 made triples this season already marks a career-high for a campaign with 12 games left to play.

While his season-long numbers are fantastic, of late he's been even better. Over his last five games Rui is shooting 62.7% from the field, including 46.7% from behind the arc. Rui is getting these buckets in all kinds of ways, too, working as a cutter along the baseline, running the floor in transition, spotting up behind the arc, flashing into mid-range jumpers, and scoring in isolation out of the low and mid-post.

He's showing off a complete offensive package and it's showing in his production -- he's averaging 16.0 points a game over that stretch, but going back even further he's at 16.7 points game over his last 15 appearances. This sort of reliability has provided a great boost to the Lakers starting lineup and allowed them to give other starters major problems matching up due to the amount of athleticism and shot making along their front line.

SOMETHING TO PLAY FORIt is well understood that the Lakers are in the thick of a push towards the postseason, trying their best to climb out of the 9th seed and into one of the 8th or 7th seeds where they would have two chances to win a single play-in game that would propel them to the playoffs. And, of late, it has been easy to see the focus and general spirit the team has played with to put their best foot forward towards this goal.

It must be said, however, that the Lakers are not the only team with something to play for. Teams in both conferences are in the midst of similar chases towards their most preferred playoff landing spots, and this final stretch of games represents "go time" for more teams than just the Lakers. Look all around the league and you can easily find another dozen teams trying to lock up the seeding they currently have, fend off a team nipping at their heels, or pushing towards a slot or two above them.

There is no better example of this than tonight's opponent, the Pacers. Indiana is currently holding onto the 6th seed in the East, but are just 1.5 games ahead of the Heat in 7th and just 2.5 games behind the Knicks in 4th. And while climbing that high might be too much to ask this late in the season, the chance to get home court advantage in the 1st round is the type of carrot the Pacers will surely chase while also doing their best to ensure the Heat do not track them down from behind and push them into the play-in in the process.

Needless to say, then, beyond all the X's and O's that will matter when the Lakers play the Pacers -- and there are plenty to navigate with Tyrese Haliburton driving their high-octane offense -- the most important aspect of these remaining dozen games will be the amount of effort, focus, and spirit the team plays with, especially in comparison to their opponent. Because those teams have something they're chasing too and the Lakers mustn't just match that heightened level of urgency their opponents are surely to bring, but do their best to exceed it.

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Three Things to Know: Lakers vs. Pacers 3-24-24

The Lakers (37-32) host Philadelphia (38-31) on Friday evening at Crypto.com Arena. The game tips at 7:30 p.m. PT on Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum SportsNet+.

RECOVERY WEEKFor the first time all season, the Lakers had three full days off between Monday’s victory over Atlanta, and Friday’s coming game against Philadelphia. As such, Darvin Ham had both Wednesday and Thursday to count as practice days after a team-wide off day on Tuesday, a rare chance both to prepare for the next opponent, and fine-tune some of the team’s own schemes and coverages.

Extra rest is always a good thing for the veteran of all veterans, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis certainly benefit from some recovery time. With just 13 games left in the regular season, there’s no doubt LeBron and AD will have benefitted from this rare light week. So too has Cam Reddish, who’s been trying to get back from the ankle injury he suffered on Jan. 23, one that’s kept him out of all but five games.

Reddish is not on the injury report ahead of Friday night’s game, so he should be available to use off the bench. He’ll be needed with Taurean Prince out of the game due to personal reasons.

The Sixers, meanwhile, after a tough 98-91 win at Miami on Monday night, lost to Phoenix on Wednesday evening, 115-102, ahead of tonight’s game against the Lakers and a Sunday matchup with the Clippers.

INJURY UPDATESWhile the Lakers surely benefitted from the long week of rest, several players remain on the injury shelf.

Both Christian Wood and Jalen Hood-Schifino underwent respective surgeries in the past few days, with Wood having an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee, and JHS a lumbar microdiscectomy. Neither should be expected to be able to return and contribute to LAL’s playoff push. Two-way player Colin Castleton continues to be sidelined with a right wrist fracture.

Meanwhile, Jarred Vanderbilt (right midfoot sprain) has started some light on-court work, including spot-shooting with the coaching staff, but he has yet to go through any team activities.

Gabe Vincent (left knee surgery) was cleared for on-court work as well, but without contact. He’s not participating in team activities either, and has been doing conditioning work while the team goes through drills.

Philadelphia has also been banged up, with 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid serving as the headliner. He hasn’t played since Jan. 30, and the Sixers have really struggled without him, going 9-14. Overall, the numbers are worse:

Without Embiid in the lineup: 12-23 (.343)

Philly has also been without starting guard De’Anthony Melton for much of the season. Tobias Harris has missed the last three Sixers games with an ankle injury, but practiced on Thursday and was upgraded to questionable for Friday’s matchup.

STANDINGS MOUNTAIN TO CLIMBThere are three teams directly in front of the Lakers in the standings, each that currently have 29 losses, three fewer than the Lakers:

6) Dallas (41-29)7) Phoenix (41-29)8) Sacramento (40-29)9) Lakers (37-32)10) Golden State (36-32)11) Houston (34-35)

That three-loss gap is actually a four-loss gap in the case of the Mavericks and Kings, since both own the tiebreaker over the Lakers, while L.A. does have the tiebreaker over Phoenix. What does that mean?

The Lakers have 13 games left, so if they go 9-4, they’d need Phoenix to go 6-6, Dallas to go 5-7, and Sacramento to go 6-7. LAL will want to try and leap over at least one team to get into the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game, without letting the Warriors or Rockets catch them from behind. Easier said than done!

IF: LAL 11-2THEN: PHX 7-5; DAL 6-6; SAC 7-6

IF: LAL 10-3THEN: PHX 6-6; DAL 5-7; SAC 6-7

IF: LAL 9-4THEN: PHX 5-7; DAL 4-8; SAC 5-8

IF: LAL 8-5THEN: PHX 4-8; DAL 3-9; SAC 4-9

IF: LAL 7-6THEN: PHX 3-9; DAL 2-10; SAC 3-10

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Three Things to Know: Lakers vs. 76ers 3-22-24

After a road loss in Sacramento on Wednesday, the Lakers (36-31) are back in Los Angeles and kickoff a four-game home-stand with a matchup against the Warriors (34-31) on Saturday night. The game tips off at 5:30 p.m. PT on ABC.

STANDINGS UPDATEHeading into Saturday's game, the Lakers are the 9th seed, just a game ahead of the Warriors, and two and three games behind the Mavericks (8th) and Suns (7th) respectively. The six through 10 standings are spelled out below:

This highlights why those games against the Kings in the last week were so meaningful, and why losing both set the team up to need more help get out of 9th than if they'd won their own games. And with only 15 games left in the season, the Lakers ability to move up and catch those teams in front of them is dwindling.

What complicates matters further is that both the Mavericks and the Kings hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers, effectively increasing their leads over them by a full game. The Mavs also have the 26th easiest remaining schedule, which further bolsters their chances of staying ahead in the standings.

On the flip side, the Lakers have the tiebreaker vs. the Suns due to their 3-2 season record against them. The Suns also have the 2nd toughest remaining schedule in the entire NBA, a fact that bears watching as they jockey for positioning as well (they too would love to get up to 6th and pass the Kings). Things are less clear against the Warriors with two games against them remaining (counting Saturday's contest), but the Lakers can guarantee at least a season split and ensure they finish with a better division record with just one more win against them.

To summarize, then, due to tiebreakers and remaining strength of schedule, the Suns are the team the Lakers could have best chance of tracking down even though they're the current 7th-seed. And the Lakers effectively control their own destiny against the Warriors and can ensure they win any tie-breaks against their Northern California rivals by winning at least one of their final two games against them.

STATUS QUO INJURY UPDATEWhile the Lakers jockey for positioning in the standings, they cannot expect reinforcements to come and help them get over the hump in the immediate future. The current injury report continues to list Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, Cam Reddish, and Gabe Vincent as out.

After practice on Friday, Coach Ham noted it was "status quo" on Wood, Vando, and Gabe -- which means there is no update on when they might return. Reddish's status is more fluid, but with ankle issues continuing to hamper him, he is unlikely to have his full athletic pop even when his status improves. It is just that time of the year when everyone is dealing with something nagging physically.

It may sound like a broken record, but Wood and Vanderbilt's absences are particularly impactful due to the team's success playing with bigger lineups and how their collective size translates to success defensively and on the backboards. Said more simply, Vando is one of the team's best perimeter defenders and his combination of size, foot speed, athleticism, and instincts are crucial against bigger wings. Wood, meanwhile, is a strong defensive rebounder whose offensive versatility allows him to more credibly play in lineups next to both LeBron and AD.

This shows up in the plus-minus for both players, as both are among the seven Lakers who boast a positive number for the season. Vando is 4th on the team at +43 and Wood, while just a +3, has proven to play very well next to the team's superstar duo -- the team is a +49 in the minutes he's played flanking James and Davis.

Needless to say, the Lakers would love to get fully healthy soon to give them their best chance of making a push towards the postseason. But, for now, they will need to continue do their best with what they have, which is enough to compete at a high level and win games.

SCUFFLING WARRIORS, CURRY RETURNINGAfter making a strong push and finding their identity in February and into March with a slew of wins, the Warriors are just 5-5 in their last 10 games, including losing three of their last four games. This coincides with Steph Curry spraining his ankle in a March 7th loss to the Bulls, and then the team ensuing to split consecutive games against the Spurs and drop a game to the Mavericks with Curry out of the lineup.

Curry is questionable for today's game, but he's been cleared for on-court activities and joined Golden State on Friday in L.A. for their practice. Barring setbacks, he is scheduled to return to the court in a game that, as outlined above, is critical to both sides in the standings.

After a playoff matchup last spring and six additional regular season matchups over the past two seasons heading into this game, both sides are very familiar with each other and neither side should be able to scheme their way to an advantage. Instead, this game will come down to which group can execute best and enforce their style of play on their opponent.

Viewed through this lens, Rui Hachimura is an important player for the Lakers and could be the X-factor in the game. If Hachimura can stay on the floor defensively, even as the Warriors downsize and try to play smaller and faster, his ability to post up smaller defenders, get out in transition, and being a release valve in the mid-range and beyond the arc as a jump shooter can give the Lakers are real edge. But if he struggles defensively as the Warriors try to run him off screens and chase smaller players, the Lakers may need to play smaller to matchup better, which lessens their size advantages.

Lastly, it is often reductive to frame a basketball game as coming down to who makes more shots, but that could very well be the case in this one. Against the Kings, none of LeBron, AD, or D'Angelo Russell were very effective jump shooters, and it allowed the defense to pack the paint and shrink the floor to constrict the Lakers offense. If the Lakers are going to break through a Golden State team that often tries to defend them in this same manner, they will need to see some of those same jumpers go down.

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Three Things to Know: Lakers vs. Warriors 3-16-24

The Lakers (35-30) host Minnesota (44-20) for the first time in Los Angeles this season, after losing a pair of tight games in Minneapolis in December. The game tips at 6:30 p.m. PT on Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum SportsNet+ and ESPN.

Below are three things to know ahead of the matchup:

RUSSELL’S RAMPAGEPlaying against Milwaukee without LeBron James, the Lakers had the tall task in creating enough efficient offense to get a win. They turned to D’Angelo Russell, and he delivered in a major way.

Not only did Russell match his career high with nine made 3-pointers, but he hit four of them in the pivotal fourth quarter towards 21 of LAL’s 27 points, scoring his new Laker-high of 44 points (his 6th game with at least 40 in his career), all while leading his team with nine assists against two turnovers.

Of those 21 4th Q points, the biggest came with 5.9 seconds left, when he manipulated a scramble situation in which neither Damian Lillard nor Brook Lopez were in good position to guard him, as he converted a tough floater from 13 feet to put LAL up 123-122. Spencer Dinwiddie then sealed the win with a swat of Lillard’s jump shot attempt on the other end.

Russell has made the 14th-most 3-pointers in the NBA this season, 171, and he’s doing it on 42.4% shooting, which is higher than every player ahead of him in makes except for Malik Beasley (43.6%), who’s typically taking more catch-and-shoot 3’s than Russell, who creates many of his looks off the dribble.

Here are Russell’s monthly splits this season:

In short, Russell had a rough December – the month in which he went from starting to a bench role for seven games – but almost immediately rediscovered his game in his first game back in a starting role, on Jan. 13 at Utah, when he scored 39 points on 15 of 26 FG’s.

Since then, he’s been one of the better offensive guards in the NBA. The Timberwolves do present a challenge with their ball pressure defensively on the perimeter, but LAL will need Russell’s rhythm to remain for their best chance to win.

LEBRON’S STATUSLeBron James missed his 9th game on Friday against Milwaukee, due to the sore ankle that he’s been dealing with for much of his unprecedented 21st season, where he’s already scored more points than the other five players to play a 21st year combined.

James is listed as “questionable” for the contest against Minnesota, after missing L.A.’s 7-point loss at Minnesota on Dec. 21, and scoring 26 points with six assists in their 2-point loss to the Wolves on Dec. 30.

In those nine games he’s missed, the Lakers have managed to go 5-4, riding the combo of Russell on the perimeter, and Anthony Davis in the paint, with Rui Hachimura sliding up to LeBron’s power forward spot defensively.

Minnesota will look different from those December matchups with Karl Anthony-Towns sidelined with a knee injury; they’ve been starting Kyle Anderson in his place, and using Naz Reid in extended bench minutes. If LeBron’s able to play, he’ll likely guard Anderson, which could be Hachimura’s matchup as well if LeBron can’t go.

The Lakers started Spencer Dinwiddie in a 3-guard look against the Bucks, which is also a possibility against Minnesota if LeBron doesn’t play, though lacking the additional size against a Wolves team that also features Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels is a tall task.

WOLVES WITHOUT TOWNSKarl Anthony-Towns has missed Minnesota’s last two games, and will be out for the next several weeks due to a knee injury, which couldn’t come at a worse time for a team battling for the West’s No. 1 seed for the first time since 2004.

In those two games, Minnesota managed a tough road win at Indiana, before losing in OT to Cleveland. They certainly miss Towns on offense, if not as much on defense.

They’ve made only 15 threes in the two games despite 55 attempts (27.3%), as the spacing KAT provides at the four simply goes away with Kyle Anderson, a non-shooter who attempts only 0.6 per game, and shoots 21.6% on the season. Those were just Minnesota’s 5th and 6th games all season shooting under 30.0% from 3. The Wolves have also struggled to get to the line without Towns, whose 4.8 FTA’s ranks third behind Edwards (6.6) and Gobert (5.0), with Anderson next at just 1.8 per game.

On the season, the Wolves are +10.2 on offense with Towns on the court, second only to Edwards (11.2). Meanwhile, their defense is 5.9 points better per 100 possessions when he’s off the floor, which is the worst on their team. The Wolves do continue to lead the NBA in defensive efficiency at 108.1. They still have the personnel to be a great defense without Towns, but we’ll see if the drop in offense will impact that end as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Three Things to Know: Lakers vs. Timberwolves 3-10-24

After a great bounce-back win vs. OKC on Monday night, the Lakers (34-29) will face off against the Kings (34-26) in an important game for the conference standings. The game tips off at 7:30 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet.

A DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE TO BUILD ONIn Monday's win vs. OKC, the Lakers held the Thunder to just 104 points, and a 104.0 offensive rating overall -- a figure much lower than normal for the team with the NBA's third ranked offense on the season (119.1). And while some of this can be attributed to the Thunder playing the second night of a back-to-back, must of the credit lies with the Lakers defense, both at the individual level and collectively as a group.

After the game, Coach Ham spoke about the team's defensive effort and what stood out to him on that side of the floor.

"I told (the team) at halftime that was the best defensive half I've seen all season," Ham said. "Just the way we just fought to keep the ball in front of us. Our shifts and activity behind the initial defender. Help at the rim. Rebounding the ball well...Kudos to our guys. They stepped up and really defended well."

When asked about if any individual stood out to him, Ham cited the multiple players who all contributed positively, but did highlight Austin Reaves with his point of attack defense on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Davis for his back-line communication and rim protection to help shut down the paint against the team that leads the NBA in drives per game.

LeBron James echoed many of these same sentiments about the team's defensive effort, and while he noted that the circumstances of different opponents impacts how the team performs defensively, he, like Ham, noted that this is the sort of performance that can be built on.

"Every game is different and every game is going to present different challenges and we understand that," James said. "But (Oklahoma City) is one of the better offensive teams that we have in this league and we did a good job. We did a good job from start to finish and we can take some key moments from this and apply it to the next game."

RUSSELL'S FLAMETHROWERWhile the defensive effort and attention to detail when executing the gameplan were the backbone of the win over the Thunder, it was D'Angelo Russell's shot making and, frankly, the audacity of his one-man runs that stole the show and put the Lakers over the top.

Russell connected on five of his 11 attempts from behind the arc, including a sequence of three consecutive makes at the beginning of the 4th quarter that was capped off with a highly contested pull-up moonshot that not only forced a Thunder timeout but had his teammates mobbing him on the floor as he headed to the bench area.

Russell, of course, is no stranger to getting hot and turning a game in the Lakers favor. For the season, it was the 31st time he's made three or more three-pointers in a game and his 10th in which he's made at least five. After the game, Austin Reaves spoke about Russell's uncanny ability to get hot and described what it was like watching him on that final shot that capped off the run.

"The way he gets his buckets in spurts like that when he gets hot, it's a beautiful thing to see," Reaves said. "And if you roll back the tape, as soon as he got the ball, me and AD stood up and we knew it was going up even when he passed it. We knew Bron was going to give it back and we knew it was going up, and once he let it go it looked good."

The last time Russell connected on five threes in a game was against the Hornets back on February 5th. In the next game he played (against the Pelicans on February 9th), Russell one-upped himself when he connected on six of his 13 attempts from deep. We'll see if he can continue that trend against the Kings.

BATTLING SACRAMENTO FOR SEEDINGThe Lakers, come into tonight's game as the 9th seed, but just 1.5 games back of the 7th-seeded Kings while also being tied in the wins column with 34 apiece.

Sacramento, in a bit of a quirk with the schedule, have played three fewer games than the Lakers to this point in the season, so they will have some making up to do over the final five weeks of the season. That said, with both teams tied in the win column, the chance for the Lakers to directly impact Sacramento in the loss column in extremely important.

A win tonight would bring the Lakers to within a half game of Sacramento in the standings, and push their division foe one loss closer to drawing even on that side of the ledger. And with these same teams matching up again in just a week, the importance of this game (at home) is even greater if for no other reason that a sweep of both games would not only position the Lakers to pass them in the standings, but would tie them in the season series (the Kings are currently up 2-0) and avoid giving the Kings the initial tie-breaker based on head-to-head matchups.

Of course, that's putting the cart before the horse. This first game is the most important and the Lakers mustn't look ahead. The Kings, as up and down as they have been of late -- they just blew a 20-point 4th quarter lead in a loss to the Bulls in their last game -- have played the Lakers incredibly tough over the last few seasons. Anything that shifts the Lakers focus away from the basketball that needs to be played on the court and onto bigger ideas like the standings chase could be an unintended distraction.

Yes, the Lakers can use that larger idea as motivation, but the details of the matchup will need to be the focus. And while that might lead many into the realm of tactics and X's and O's, the bigger thing to look out for in this contest is energy in both the physical and mental form. If the Lakers are to win, they will need to bring the requisite hustle and commitment to doing the little things, while also staying locked in and showing the right level of discipline on both sides of the ball.

In other words, the Lakers must play another serious game of basketball. The good thing for them, is that has been happening more often than not. And they only need to review the tape from their win over the Thunder to show them what is required in this game vs. Sacramento.