The Los Angeles Lakers have been through numerous key injuries, bad or questionable trades, poor roster construction and perhaps plain old bad luck over the last two years. But they have seemingly turned the page. They head into the NBA playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies after being conspicuously absent from the postseason last year.
They did so by earning an ugly and gutsy 108-102 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the play-in tournament on Tuesday. Los Angeles fell behind by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, but it turned things up a couple of notches and achieved a win the old-fashioned way — with some suffocating defense that held Minnesota to just 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined.
LeBron James led the way with 30 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Anthony Davis added 24 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots and two steals, and Dennis Schroder contributed 24 points off the bench.
Fans on Twitter are pleased that the Lakers will be headed to the NBA’s “second season” to play for a shot at the world championship.
LAKERS ARE PLAYOFF BOUND BAYBEEEEEEEEEEEE
— y 🦅 (@blndedtune) April 12, 2023
All the jokes at us the whole season about how we will never make the Playoffs, and how it would be impossible. Guess what they can officially choke on their words
— m0ckingBird (@nyarlathHunters) April 12, 2023
Lakers actually making the playoffs is crazy cause as of 4 months ago (give or take) they were second to the last on the table
— Oti (@AvontaOti) April 12, 2023
@patbev21 said they was gon do 2 things:
Make the playoffs
Knock the #Lakers out of the playoffsHe failed to do both.
— ᴸᵃᵏᵉʳˢ 17 time Champs 💙 (@CamoteCali) April 12, 2023
That Lakers playoff crowd atmosphere was LIT tonight
— CHIP CITY #17Rings (@Obi_Wan_Kobe_) April 12, 2023
Hey Lakers nation I'm so proud of this team and tonight game was crazy till the end and we pulled of the win tonight and now we are going to the playoffs in 2023.
— Trent Coggins (@coggins_trent) April 12, 2023
It’ll shock them that the Lakers will eliminate the Grizzlies out of the playoffs
— Weija Sherlock Holmes (@_Wopre_dodo) April 12, 2023
Every win must be celebrated and this one is big because for this we are now headed for playoffs.
— Tamikanji🏀🎵 (@TamikanjiTS) April 12, 2023
Months ago i never thought @Lakers can make the playoffs even via D play in.
To see them now in D playoffs looking back at how poor we were in the first half of D regular season is REMARKABLE.
Honestly anything from here on is a bonus for me, but you never can tell.#LakeShow
— United! (@unitedyusuf) April 12, 2023
First time Memphis and the Lakers have met in the playoffs. Going to be fun one! pic.twitter.com/ADOXhuFXGB
— Thin Bolt Beast (@ThinBoltBeast) April 12, 2023
Lakers are going to be scary in the playoffs if they keep this up
— TTO | Shaggy (@Diabl0TTV) April 12, 2023
