The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers have lost six of their last seven games, and are in danger of falling out of the top six in the West, which
The defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers have lost six of their last seven games, and are in danger of falling out of the top six in the West, which would put them into the first year of the NBA play-in games. As opposed to years past, being the seventh seed does not guarantee teams a first-round playoff series. Now, the NBA will hold a play-in tournament in which the seventh and eight teams will play each other and the ninth and tenth teams will also play, with the winners advancing to the playoffs. The winner of the 7-8 matchup will advance to the first round of the playoffs while the loser will play the winner of the 9-10 matchup to determine the final playoff team in each conference. It’s a position that no one thought the Lakers would find themselves in ahead of the 2021 season, and James isn’t taking it well. After a 121-114 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night, the four-time MVP turned his ire toward the NBA’s play-in tournament. “Whoever came up with that s**t needs to be fired,” James told the media after the loss. The play-in tournament was agreed upon in the offseason following a negotiation between the NBA and the NBPA (National Basketball Players Association).
