Lakers Clinch Home Court After Dominant Late-Season Wins
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Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 101-73 Friday night at Crypto.com Arena, clinching home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs; earlier this week the Lakers also beat the Golden State Warriors 119-103 Thursday at Chase Center. Both games were played with multiple regular-season absences reported for opposing teams.
Los Angeles' victory on Friday featured LeBron James finishing with 28 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, and secured at least the No. 4 seed; News.az reported the Lakers at 52-29, trailing the Denver Nuggets by one game but holding the tiebreaker with one regular-season game remaining. Teams now prepare for final seeding scenarios this weekend.
More context
Timeline
- 1. Thursday night: Lakers beat Warriors 119-103 at Chase Center; game noted as played with absences.
- 2. Friday night: Lakers defeated Suns 101-73 at Crypto.com Arena; LeBron recorded 28 points, 12 assists, six rebounds.
- 3. News.az reported Lakers at 52-29, one game behind Denver (53-28) while holding the tiebreaker with one game left.
- 4. Multiple reports noted rested or absent players across teams, including Suns resting key contributors ahead of postseason.
- 5. Teams and media prepare for final regular-season day and seeding-deciding matchups this weekend.
Why it matters
If you're a Lakers fan, this is a big deal. The team's recent wins mean they'll start the playoffs at home. Home-court advantage can be a game-changer. It's also a sign that the Lakers are in strong form, even with opponent teams resting key players.
Sources
JQJO Editorial Desk · Human reviewed · AI assisted. Report a correction.
