Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings prediction: 120-113 win
Yep, the Los Angeles Lakers are going to finish the bubble with two consecutive wins and will finish with a 4-4 record, which is still disappointing, but will not be a total disaster. This is a game that the Los Angeles Lakers should win and will dominate before taking out the starters in the fourth and allowing the Kings to get close.
Neither team will really be playing for anything in this game. The Kings are already essentially locked out of the playoffs and the Lakers already have nothing to play for. As a result, this is going to be a game that looks more like a pickup game at the local gym where both teams are trying unique things offensively.
The Lakers are simply the more talented (and far better coached) team and that will naturally lead to them winning this game. You could make the case that the Lakers not having anything to play for hurts them more than the Kings, but I would argue the contrary.
At least with the Lakers, they will be playing knowing that they have difficult games on the horizon. The worst way to end the season before the playoffs is to drop a dud against the Kings.
The Lakers are going to shoot a lot of threes in this game in the hopes of turning it around and I do think this is a game where the team will be more successful. They will be looking for two consecutive wins to head into the playoffs and will get just that.
The Lakers do not deserve the benefit of the doubt with the way they have been playing but I truly do think that a switch will be flipped for the team in these final two games.