
In mid-January, the Los Angeles Lakers were sputtering. They held a mediocre 19-21 record, and they had lost 12 of their last 17 games. As a result, there was a real chance at the time that they wouldn’t even make the play-in tournament.

In mid-January, the Los Angeles Lakers were sputtering. They held a mediocre 19-21 record, and they had lost 12 of their last 17 games. As a result, there was a real chance at the time that they wouldn’t even make the play-in tournament.