Zhang Weiping, the commentator in the stands, said bluntly: "This season the Lakers have never won against the Spurs and Warriors."

Another commentator quickly echoed: "Yes! The Lakers' record in the past two months looks very good, but they do have a problem now, that is, they are obviously not well prepared when facing a championship-level team.

And the lineup is not deep enough.”

"Lin Tiantian scored 42 points in this game but could not save the game. There are still many problems left for the Lakers!"

"The record that had just been corrected has now become 30 wins and 31 losses. I hope the Lakers players can adjust their mentality in the future."

…

Away team locker room.

Everyone was frustrated after losing, but Kobe still stood up and said some words of encouragement.

Scott also gave a speech that can be called chicken soup.

Lin Tian fell into deep thought.

Although they made crazy transactions in the middle of the season and poached big-name players like Howard.

But the problem before us is that centers like Howard are no longer in line with the trend of the times.

It would be okay if he was in his prime, he could defeat all centers with his physical talent.

But now Howard doesn't even have 70% of his peak strength.

Once he stands on the court, he will often become a target for his opponents.

Such a tall traditional center also makes the Lakers' interior crowded, unable to give Lin Tian much space.

In addition, the Lakers' perimeter defense is still too bad! Curry and Thompson's super-accurate three-pointers today can illustrate the problem.

Curry made 5 of 10 three-pointers today, with a shooting percentage of 50%!

Thompson made 5 of 12 three-pointers, which is more than 40%.

The two of them are three-point marksmen, and it is a recognized fact that Clarkson cannot guard Curry.

Kobe obviously couldn't guard Thompson, after all, Thompson ran too fast without the ball.

If the Cavaliers defeated them last time with talent, then the Warriors defeated them not only with talent, but with all-round beating.

Judging from the current state and momentum of the Lakers, it may not be difficult to enter the playoffs.

But if they end up ranked eighth, the first person they have to play is the Warriors.

Lin Tian knew that with the strength of their Lakers team, it would be normal for them to be swept by the Warriors.

Therefore, their goal must not be just eighth place! Instead, they must strive for a better ranking to avoid encountering the Warriors as soon as the playoffs begin.

His ideal ranking is sixth place, but it is not easy.

After attending the post-game press conference, Lin Tian returned to the hotel and started watching today's game video.

After watching the replay carefully twice, Lin Tiancai fell into a deep sleep.

…

In the next half month, the Lakers still played fiercely.

They played eight games in half a month and only lost one of them, which was to the Eastern Conference Menglong team.

The Lakers' record also became 37 wins and 32 losses.

Due to the change in record, they also successfully squeezed into the playoff area, ranking seventh in the Western Conference.

The fearsome Warriors have been on a roll and have won seven games in a row.

This is mainly because the schedule is relatively friendly, there are no strong teammates, and several bad teams have given them warmth.

The regular season is gradually coming to an end, and every team that wants to enter the playoffs has begun to exert its efforts.

The east is fine, but the competition in the west is particularly fierce.

The Mavericks, Grizzlies, Rockets and Jazz, including the surging Lakers, are currently fighting for the playoffs.

Their records are also very similar, both have more than 30 wins.

The wages players usually receive are actually for the regular season.

The playoffs are equal to extra games, and players who play in the playoffs do not receive extra wages.

But there may be teams that don't want to play in the playoffs in order to be bad, and there are absolutely no players who say they don't want to play in the playoffs.

Because in the real playoffs, the defensive intensity will be greatly improved, and this is also a time to test the players.

If a player can shine in the playoffs, he will often not be short of a big contract.

Being able to win a championship is like giving yourself a layer of gold, and you can call yourself a championship-level player in the future.

Currently in the entire league, even the Warriors dare not relax.

They are the first team to enter the playoffs, but in order to break the Bulls' record, the Warriors have been crazy recently.

So far, the Warriors' Big Three have never missed a game.

Their goal this season is not just as simple as the championship, but also a record.

That night, the Lakers faced the challenge of the Trail Blazers at home, but ended up losing a game, resulting in a record of 37 wins and 33 losses.

The Trail Blazers' double shot in the backcourt once again exposed the Lakers' defensive shortcomings on the perimeter.

In the locker room after the game, Kobe even hit his calf angrily.

These scarred legs had a great impact on his speed, making it impossible for him to guard CJ McCollum.

Lin Tian didn't know how to comfort Kobe. It was actually a miracle that they could play like this this season.

But once people make progress, they often have higher-level ideas.

In the following games, the Lakers' performance was not as heroic as when Lin Tiangang arrived.

There is one reason why the players are slacking off, and another reason is that other teams have also become nervous.

So far in the regular season, the situation has become extremely clear.

The 76 players in the Eastern Conference are determined to be last in the league, and no one can shake their position.

The penultimate spot should come down to the Nets and Suns.

Of these two teams, the Suns really want to be bad, and the Nets really don't want to be bad, but their strength is really too weak.

As for the third-to-last ranking, it should be between the Timberwolves, Knicks and Daigo teams.

In the NBA, no one underestimates the lottery.

In order to win a good lottery spot, some teams will even go to a crazy level!

For example, the 76ers may have the worst record in team history this season.

Compared with competing for draft picks, competing for a spot in the playoffs is much more intense.

The already treacherous situation in the Western Conference has become even more confusing under the agitation of the Lakers.

Time flies so fast, April has arrived in a blink of an eye.

April also means that this is the month when the regular season ends and the playoffs begin.

The Lakers' current record is 41 wins and 39 losses, ranking sixth in the Western Conference.

Their recent record is the worst since Lin Tian joined the Lakers.

The embarrassing situation of being unable to guard the outside line and unable to get out of the inside line has always been with the Lakers.

So much so that they were even taught a lesson by several teams in the Eastern Conference.

The sixth place ranking puts them under considerable pressure recently.

Compared to various winning streaks in the middle of the season...

Even if there are only two games left in the regular season, they may not be able to make it to the playoffs.

Because the records of several teams behind them are almost the same as theirs.

The Jazz are 39-41, the Grizzlies are 41-40, and the Rockets are 40-40.

Even if the Lakers win the next two games, they will only be in sixth place.

And once they lose two games in a row, they will most likely miss the playoffs.

Unfortunately, the Lakers' next two opponents are neither soft persimmons.

One of the Thunder teams, ranked third in the Western Conference, is actually a championship favorite.

Their record is 54 wins and 26 losses, and they have already locked up a spot in the playoffs.

In terms of performance, there is no pressure on them.

But they must also try to avoid falling to fourth place!

Because once they fall to fourth place, they may meet the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals in advance, which is something that should be avoided as much as possible.

The Lakers' last opponent in the regular season will be the Jazz.
To be continued...