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Golden State Warriors: Potential second-round opponent confirmed in wild postseason start

By Peter O'Keefe

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Troy Brown Jr. #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball in front of Jordan McLaughlin #6 and Taurean Prince #12 of the Minnesota Timberwolves as teammates D'Angelo Russell #1 and Anthony Davis #3 watch during the first half in a play-in tournament game at Crypto.com Arena on April 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 11: Troy Brown Jr. #7 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball in front of Jordan McLaughlin #6 and Taurean Prince #12 of the Minnesota Timberwolves as teammates D'Angelo Russell #1 and Anthony Davis #3 watch during the first half in a play-in tournament game at Crypto.com Arena on April 11, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed their spot in the NBA Playoffs on Tuesday, earning the Western Conference’s seven-seed with a crazy comeback win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It means they’ll see the Memphis Grizzlies in the first-round, with the winner of that series to take on the Sacramento Kings or Golden State Warriors.

It also means that all four California teams have made the playoffs for the first time in history. Add in the Phoenix Suns and you have all five pacific division teams making the playoffs, sitting behind each other between the third and seventh seeds.

The Golden State Warriors could see the Los Angeles Lakers in the second-round of the playoffs should both teams defeat their higher-seeded opponent.

In a crazy opening to the postseason, the Lakers overturned a 15-point deficit against a deteriorating Timberwolves offense. A Dennis Schroder corner three gave Los Angeles the lead with 1.4 seconds remaining, only for Anthony Davis to foul Minnesota veteran Mike Conley who calmly hit all three free throws to send the game to overtime. The Lakers would eventually win 108-102, with the Timberwolves scoring just seven points across the last 11 minutes of playing time.

Will we see LeBron James and Stephen Curry face off in the NBA Playoffs again? (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Will we see LeBron James and Stephen Curry face off in the NBA Playoffs again? (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Much like the Warriors, the Lakers have seen their fare share of issues so far this season. They began the season 2-10 and never really recovered until after the All-Star break. The improvement stemmed from a major roster shakeup at February’s trade deadline, starting with sending out former MVP Russell Westbrook.

The Grizzlies may be slight favorites at present, but the presence of Davis and LeBron James has to give the Lakers a serious chance of moving on. That creates the idea of a mouthwatering second-round battle between James and Warrior superstar Stephen Curry, with the pair having not competed in a playoff series against each other since the last of their four-straight NBA Finals matchups in 2018.

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The Grizzlies-Lakers series will begin on Sunday, with Kings-Warriors starting the night before. The Western Conference eighth seed will be determined when the winner of Wednesday’s New Orleans Pelicans-Oklahoma City Thunder matchup faces the Timberwolves on Friday.

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