The Lakers are in the NBA playoffs

In one of the more stunning storylines of the 2012-13 season, the L.A. Lakers have made the NBA playoffs. Understaffed at every turn, the Lakers were able to gut out just enough victories to sneak into the West bracket with a Wednesday loss by the Utah Jazz. That loss clinched a berth for L.A. in the closing hours of the regular season. The Lakers' game against the Houston Rockets became all about playoff match-ups. L.A. did snatch victory from the jaws of defeat to claim the No. 7 seed. They will face the Spurs in Round 1.

With a roster full of scrappy players and unknown heroes, the Lakers were able to outlast the juggernaut Jazz, megalith Mavericks and bombastic Blazers over the course of 82 long ones. It took three head coaches, one Robert Sacre and something called a Goudelock, but the team just got it done.