Los Angeles Lakers: Facing the Suns is the best-case scenario for NBA Playoffs

2. The Phoenix Suns are the only team that can beat the Portland Trail Blazers twice in a row

Again, it would be ideal for the Los Angeles Lakers if the Blazers just laid an egg in the seeding games and dropped back-to-back games against either the Spurs or Grizzlies. That would make the Lakers’ lives so much easier and make the first round what it is supposed to be: a breeze.

But let’s be real: barring any injuries (which we never root for here at Lake Show Life, regardless of the team), there is no chance that either the Spurs or Grizzlies beat the Blazers twice in a row. Once? Maybe. But twice? Not a chance.

The Suns are the only team capable of that and it is because of how red-hot they are and the fact that they have a star in Devin Booker that can go toe-to-toe with Damian Lillard in terms of sheer scoring.

All the Suns need for this to be the reality is to win their game and the Grizzlies to lose theirs against the Bucks, which without Jaren Jackson, seems likely (although the Bucks will be cautious in that matchup).

If the Grizzlies win then it is a moot point if the Suns win. It will be Blazers-Grizzlies for the play-in games and we know how that will shape out.

The M.O. for the Los Angeles Lakers in this final, crazy, bit of action for the seeding games is not playing the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The best-case scenario then (as it is the most realistic) becomes to play the hottest team in Orlando, no pun intended.