(8) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers (7)
The Los Angeles Lakers are heading into the NBA Postseason will quite a bit of momentum on their side. Since the NBA Trade Deadline, the Lakers hold the fourth-best record in the NBA at 18-8. The big question, of course, is whether or not they’ll be able to make quick work of their time in the Play-In Tournament and get some much-needed rest for Anthony Davis and LeBron James heading into the NBA Playoffs.
If they can, you’d have to like their chances even more against the Memphis Grizzlies. I still wouldn’t consider them a favorite to beat the Grizzlies but they would at least have a puncher’s shot. And, at this point, that’s all you can hope for from a 7th seed. But to get to that point, they’ll have to get through the Minnesota Timberwolves first.
And the Wolves are not going to be a pushover. The Wolves may not be playing at the same level as the Lakers but they’ve won three games in a row to close the season and have won seven of their last 10 games. When at his peak, there aren’t many players in the league that can keep up with Anthony Edwards. If he gets hot, the Lakers could find themselves in trouble.
Still, I expect the Lakers to pull through.
Prediction: Lakers