With LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers clinching a spot in the NBA playoffs, the 2022/23 season marks the first time all four California franchises will compete for the championship.
After their horrible 2-10 start to the campaign, the 43-39 Lakers secured a 108-102 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Play-In to snatch the seventh seed in the Western Conference. The dramatic win over Minnesota was almost microcosm of the Lakers’ season, with the team coming from behind to eventually scrape over the line in overtime.
The win means the Lakers are into the Play-Offs for the first time since 2021 as they chase a record 18th NBA championship - and first since James and Anthony Davis spearheaded their title push in 2020 down in Orlando. Los Angeles will face the Memphis Grizzlies, the second seed in the West, in what is set to be an exciting first round play-off series.
The Lakers - who rallied from 13th in the standings at the All-Star break to finish seventh - had to dig deep as Karl Anthony-Towns’ 17 first half points threatened to crash their post-season party, but James led the way. The four-time MVP scored 30 points to go with 10 rebounds and six assists to defeat Minnesota, who were without Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert due to separate punching incidents.
The Lakers’ win also secured a first in NBA history with all four teams from the state of California qualifying for the Play-Offs in the same season. Since the Kings left Kansas City for Sacramento in 1985, there has never been a post-season that featured all four California teams - until now.
Sacramento enjoyed one of the finest seasons in recent franchise history, snapping a 16-year play-off drought to earn the third seed in the West with a 48-34 record. The Kings will face Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in the first round after the reigning champions secured the sixth seed with a run of eight wins in their last 10.
As for the Lakers’ city rivals, the LA Clippers earned the fifth seed in the West with a 44-38 record. The Clippers enjoyed a stellar run of seven wins in their final 10 regular season contests - and their reward? Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
The previous record for the most California teams to ever make the postseason in the same year as three.
