The Los Angeles Lakers have little to win in beating the Portland Trail Blazers at Rose Garden on Friday night (10 p.m. ET, local TV and League Pass). The Lakers are almost assuredly set to land as the No. 2 seed in the West bracket of the 2011 NBA Playoffs; the San Antonio Spurs have clinched the top spot and the No. 3 Dallas Mavericks and No. 4 Oklahoma City Thunder appear to be too far back. And a Lakers win likely knocks the Blazers into the No. 7 spot, assuming wins by the New Orleans Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies, each playing non-playoff teams on Friday.
Lakers Vs. Blazers: Kobe Bryant, Champs Balance Rest With Worry
That could lead to a first-round series between the Lakers and Blazers, something the two-time defending champs would like to avoid given that, until February, L.A. had lost nine straight games in the Rose Garden.
But there's the NBA Finals to think about. In particular, the Lakers remain one game ahead of the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat in the overall NBA standings. Should the Lakers meet either team in the Finals, whoever has the better record earns home court advantage. The Chicago Bulls are out of reach, but there's a real chance the C's or Heat could get there. L.A. knows from very recent experience how important that home court advantage in Game 7 can be.
These are the things L.A. balances heading into Friday’s game; as the excellent Zach Lowe ascertained, there’s really no telling which way the Lakers will go. Rest isn’t as much an issue once the slow-paced playoffs begin, but this team is older than most incarnations under Phil Jackson. On the other hand, beating Portland in Portland twice this season could very well excise those demons of seasons past.
On the other hand (we're on our third hand now, for what it's worth), trying hard, giving Kobe Bryant big minutes and losing to Portland could be the worst of all worlds. No matter what happens, it should be interesting.
For more on the Blazers, visit Blazersedge. For the Lakers perspective, check out Silver Screen And Roll and SB Nation L.A.
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