LOS ANGELES — Forget about the NBA championship. In the likely case in which the Lakers end up in the play-in tournament, will they even reach the playoffs?
There's a chance the Lakers can avoid the nightmare scenario entirely, as they could earn a direct path to the playoffs as the Western Conference's fifth or sixth seed with a win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday and an abundance of help from other teams.
However, the more likely outcome has them in the play-in tournament next week — a prospect that became exponentially more frightening in recent days.
