Why it is critical for the Los Angeles Lakers to end this series in five games

After falling behind in the series 1-0, the Los Angeles Lakers have flipped the script for the first-round series against the Phoenix Suns and have taken a 2-1 series lead. While the purple and gold only have a one-game advantage, this series feels like it is just about over for the Suns.

The Lakers are already the most overqualified seventh seed perhaps in NBA history and it did not help the Suns that the Lakers’ size creates a big mismatch. The Lakers already have the two best players in the series and those players were entering a series that they were set up to succeed in.

And that has been the story of the series. Phoenix won Game 1 behind a terrible shooting performance for the Lakers that, quite frankly, was a statistical anomaly. Game 2 was close but it was the two best players that took over at the end and Game 3 was decided by a dominant third quarter by the Lakers.

It is safe to say that most Laker fans are feeling confident about this series, perhaps the series even ending in five games. While the Lakers have seven games to get the job done, fans better hope that it ends sooner, not later.

The Los Angeles Lakers need to take care of business and end this series in five games.

Will the Los Angeles Lakers lose this series if it goes to six games? No, but they certainly could and the team benefits much more from getting the job done as soon as possible and winning both Game 4 and Game 5.

Here are two reasons why Lakers in five is so important for the team in this first-round playoff matchup.