Lakers Eliminated from 2022 NBA Playoff Race After Loss to Suns

The Lakers have been simultaneously entertaining and frustrating this season, which has made it hard to decide whether to like them or not. 

They are out of the NBA playoffs after seven straight defeats. The team was missing star Lebron James through injury, but still expected to qualify for a playoff place.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been eliminated from the championship race after losing to the first-seeded Phoenix Suns, 118-109, and close the season with the second-worst record in the Western Conference. The Suns finished with a 63-19 record while the Lakers went 31-45 and placed 11th.

During the summer of 2019, Lakers signed LeBron James. The following year, Pelicans drafted Anthony Davis to the Lakers to build a super team. Lakers hired Frank Vogel, a well known coach. This season, the two teams battled each other in the regular season. On December 15th, Pelicans brought a 0-10 record into a matchup against the Lakers. On that day, both Anthony Davis and LeBron James were injured. Luckily, Davis returned on December 22nd but unfortunately, James' injury was worse than expected. Unfortunately for both teams, neither team made it to the playoffs this season.

After picking up Kawhi Leonard from the Spurs and ‎DeMarcus Cousins from the New Orleans Pelicans, Lakers fans were counting on the team to make a miracle run. But with a banged-up LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it was a miracle the Lakers made the playoffs by clinching the No. 8 seed. After getting some much needed rest during their break through regular season games, the Lakers lost five of six games including wins to the Clippers, Trail Blazers, Timberwolves and most recently yesterday's Game 4 loss to Cleveland in the 218 Western Conference Semifinals.