Lakers have already secured homecourt advantage<\/a> for their first round playoff series that\u2019ll start next weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe biggest question that\u2019ll be answered Sunday evening: What seed will the Lakers enter the postseason as?<\/p>\n
With Friday\u2019s win over the Suns, in addition to the results of the games involving the teams around them in the Western Conference standings, the Lakers are guaranteed to be a top-four seed in the Western Conference for the playoffs.<\/p>\n
The Timberwolves (48-33) have been locked in as the sixth seed.<\/p>\nThe biggest question that\u2019ll be answered Sunday evening: What seed will the Lakers enter the postseason as? NBAE via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Rockets (51-30) became the fifth seed after falling to the Timberwolves on Friday, in addition to the Lakers\u2019 win and the Nuggets\u2019 victory over the top-seeded Thunder locking Houston in at its spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, it\u2019s just a matter of where the Lakers and Nuggets will finish in the standings so the 3-6 and 4-5 playoff West matchups can be set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<\/aside>\nThe Nuggets (53-28) are in control of third seed, but the Lakers (52-29) still have a shot at finishing at No. 3 for the second consecutive season entering the final day of the regular season.<\/p>\n
Lakers finish as the third seed if\u2026<\/h2>\n The Lakers need the Nuggets to drop their regular-season finale to the Spurs on Sunday to have a shot at taking a jump in the standings.<\/p>\n
If the Nuggets lose to the Spurs, the Lakers would need to beat the Jazz on Sunday to claim the third seed.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe Lakers need the Nuggets to drop their regular-season finale to the Spurs on Sunday to have a shot at taking a jump in the standings. Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Jazz have lost 11 of their last 12 and four of 21 games since the All-Star break.<\/p>\n
If the Lakers finished the season as the third seed, they would match up against the Timberwolves in the 3-6 series for the second consecutive season, while the Nuggets would play the Nuggets in the 4-5 series.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Timberwolves knocked the Lakers out of the playoffs in the first round in five games last spring.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe Rockets (51-30) became the fifth seed after falling to the Timberwolves on Friday. AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe Lakers own the tiebreaker over the Nuggets for playoffs seeding purposes after winning the regular-season series, 2-1.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Also, in this scenario, the Lakers would also finish with their best record in an 82-game regular season since they won 57 games in 2010-11.<\/p>\n
Lakers finish as the fourth seed if\u2026<\/h2>\n The Nuggets beat the Spurs on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Or, if the Lakers lose to the Jazz.<\/p>\n
If either \u2013 or both \u2013 happens, the Lakers would play the Rockets in the 4-5 series, while the Nuggets would play the Timberwolves in the 3-6 series.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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