AnnihiLAtion: Lakers Bounced From Playoffs

04/06/2022 AnnihiLAtion: Lakers Bounced From Playoffs

By: Jeff Yoder

Suns Blow Out Lakers to Eliminate Los Angeles From 2022 NBA Playoffs

After acquiring Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook last offseason to pair alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers have officially been eliminated. L.A. entered the 2021-22 season with the second-best odds to win it all (+450), trailing only the Brooklyn Nets. Instead, the Lakers (31-48) won’t even make the play-in. Tuesday’s loss to the Suns (121-110) came after the team announced they were shelving LeBron for the remainder of the season. Davis has been dealing with a foot injury throughout the year. Westbrook has been a bust at 33 years old. And head coach Frank Vogel could be fired at any moment. With the Lakers loss and a Spurs win, San Antonio officially clinched the 10-seed in the West play-in.

 

🎥 Enjoy this Stephen A. Smith throwback from 2019: The Lakers Stink!

 

Phoenix’s Flip Side: With the win and three games to play, Phoenix (63-16) set the franchise mark for wins in a season as they close in on what could be a top-20 all-time season in league history (65 or more wins).

 

Watch: Suns Eliminate Lakers From Postseason (121-110)

 

Other NBA News & Highlights

 

Embiid Overtakes Scoring Title: With a 45-point night in the 76ers’ win over the Pacers (131-122), Joel Embiid passed LeBron James for the league lead in scoring (30.4 ppg). He became the first Philly player to score 2,000 points in a season since Allen Iverson.

 

Heating Up The 3s: The Heat smashed the Hornets (144-115) thanks to a franchise-record 23 3-pointers on Tuesday night. Miami went 23-for-42 from deep, and Caleb Martin dropped a career-high 35 points off the bench.

 

Bulls’ Good News/Bad News: Chicago clinched a top-six playoff spot on Tuesday night despite a loss to the Bucks (127-106), but Lonzo Ball will be out for the postseason while he continues to deal with a knee injury.

 

Other 40-Point Nights

Kyrie Irving (BKN): 42 points

Nikola Jokic (DEN): 41 points

DeMar DeRozan (CHI): 40 points

 

Photo: Wally Skalij / Getty Images