They don’t do T-shirts in Los Angeles. They do trophies.
So while the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors were showering their players with shirts and shouts celebrating their respective achievements, the Lakers were doing their best to be T-shirt-worthy.
Yes, they are back in eighth place in the Western Conference thanks to 23 fourth-quarter points from Kobe Bryant (there is a reason why he retains a top 10 spot in the MVP rankings) in a 104-96 victory over New Orleans. But they know their work isn’t finished.
“We got four games left. We control our own destiny,’ Dwight Howard said, quite correctly.
The Lakers finish with a game at Portland tonight (where they’ve lost 12 of 14), then three consecutive home games against playoff teams Golden State, San Antonio and Houston.
If they win them all, they’re in.
If they lose even one, they won’t control their own fate unless the Jazz lose one of their final three.
So while today begins with the Lakers clinging to eighth, there are still eight days left in the regular season.
And eight days is a long, long time with the way the NBA season goes through its twists and turns. One promising sign for El Lay: The Blazers will be starting Victor Claver and Will Barton tonight at the Rose Garden, as Wesley Mathews and Nicolas Batum are out and J.J. Hickson is questionable.
Utah does not play again until Friday vs. Minnesota.
The Jazz had an opportunity to maintain their slim hold on the eighth seed but had to go against an Oklahoma City Thunder team looking to stay even – at the very least – in the win column with the San Antonio Spurs.
Russell Westbrook scored 25 points and Kevin Durant (while losing ground in the scoring race) had 21, 12 rebounds, nine assists, three steals and a block for the Thunder, who also got the 100th 3-pointer of the season from Thabo Sefolosha (Bryant, by comparison, has 127).
Al Jefferson’s three-point play pulled Utah within 84-78 with 55 seconds left and Paul Millsap’s dunk made it a four-point game. But Durant hit two free throws and Westbrook stole the inbounds pass to seal it for the Thunder.
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”We still got a chance,” point guard Mo Williams said. ”I’m not sitting here saying it’s over. We got three games left. We’ve got to go get them.”
A 3-0 finished combined with a single loss by the Lakers will get the Jazz in.
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There are no such concerns in the East, where the eight-team field has long been decided. What is not known is how the seedings will settle, and there a closer battle for seed Nos. 2 and 3 than there is for Nos. 7 and 8.
BucksNation is weeping after seeing Milwaukee get clocked by Miami, 94-83, despite the Heat missing 15 consecutive 3-pointers in one stretch. Dwyane Wade (ankle, knee) sat out again, as did Chris Bosh (flu-like symptoms). But LeBron James shot 11-for-16 in yet another display of extreme efficiency.
Miami needs one more win or one San Antonio loss to clinch homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. They will go for it tonight in Washington, where the Wizards have won nine in a row, including victories over the playoff-bound Pacers, Bulls, Grizzlies and Bucks. Bosh will not be with the team, and Wade will be a game-time decision.
Now, back to those T-shirts.