The end of the NBA season is approaching, which means it’s time for fans of teams out of the playoff hunt to start rooting for losses
Something disastrous happened to the LA Lakers on Sunday: they actually won a game. Before beating the Memphis Grizzlies 108-103, things had been going fairly well for the Lakers: they were on a four-game losing streak, and were playing badly enough that they could have conceivably lost their remaining games of the season.
With the win, however, the Lakers’ chances of getting a top three pick in this year’s NBA draft lottery took a huge hit, dropping below 50%. That’s a huge deal, because if their pick ends up being No4 or lower, it will go to the Philadelphia 76ers. In that scenario, the Lakers would receive little compensation for suffering through one of the most painful seasons in franchise history. After the ill-timed win, the Lakers reacted by shutting down an injured but still productive Nick Young for the season. This is how strange the season has been for the Lakers: not only are they deliberately trying to lose games, they found themselves in a situation where playing Young was somehow actually harmful to that cause.
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