In mid-March, the Los Angeles Lakers were frantically trying to climb the Western Conference standings and claim a spot in the 2023 NBA playoffs. But they lost three of four games heading into a March 19 matchup with the Orlando Magic, which shed the ephemeral momentum they had started to build.
Even worse, LeBron James was out with a right foot injury, and there was doubt he would be able to return by the end of the regular season.
