The Lakers and 76ers met in Los Angeles on March 22nd and the Lakers used a big fourth quarter to beat the Sixers by 14. Today, the Lakers visit the Sixers in Philadelphia and this game could send both franchises in different directions.
Both teams are headed to the draft lottery, but things get complicated for the Lakers if they don’t land a top five pick. As you already know, the Lakers will give up their pick if it is six or higher and the Sixers would be the team who receives the pick after trading with the Suns at the trade deadline.
The Lakers are the better team and the Sixers are expert tankers. However, the Lakers will not be at full strength tonight. According to Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times, Carlos Boozer will not play due to an upper-respiratory infection:
Update: Boozer will *not* play tonight. Byron wanted to play him but Boozer, like Lin, isn't feeling well (upper-respiratory infection).
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) March 30, 2015
Looks like Jeremy Lin got Boozer sick, so now both of them will miss tonight’s game against the 76ers. Laker fans supporting the tank are not complaining. A loss against the 76ers would give both teams 19 wins, which would put the Lakers in a good position the rest of the way.
Boozer is averaging 12.2 points and 7 rebounds per game this season. He has been somewhat of a bright spot considering all that has happened this season. Boozer and Lin should be ready to go back on the court when the Lakers face the Pelicans in Los Angeles on Wednesday.