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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Robert Marvi

The Suns will be very short-handed against the Lakers on Friday

The Los Angeles Lakers have two games left in their regular-season schedule, and both are must-win games if they want to keep alive their hopes of finishing sixth in the Western Conference and skipping the play-in tournament.

They will face the Phoenix Suns at home on Friday night, and at first glance, it may seem like a very difficult contest, given the Suns’ star-studded starting lineup and their seven-game winning streak.

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However, L.A. will be getting a very big break.

With the fourth seed wrapped up, Phoenix decided to sit its four best players: Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton (h/t Lakers Daily).

For the Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are listed as questionable, as is guard Dennis Schroder, who is reportedly dealing with neck spasms.

If L.A. wins on Friday and again on Sunday versus the Utah Jazz, it would give itself a pathway to still finish sixth in the West, despite a slew of close losses and key injuries.

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