Lakers defeat Jazz, will open playoffs at home against Houston
The Lakers are the fourth-seeded team and will have home-court advantage over the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
LeBron James is fouled by Utah Jazz forward Blake Hinson in the first half. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) All that mattered to the Lakers was maintaining the right approach during their final game of the NBA regular season on Sunday. They were still in contention for a higher seed in the Western Conference, but the Lakers were not focused on that.
They were facing one of the worst teams in the league in the Utah Jazz, but the Lakers were not focused on that. Game 82 was simply about the Lakers continuing to build the right habits, and by doing so they defeated the Jazz 131-107 at Crypto. com Arena.
The Lakers were aware that they were playing simultaneously as the Denver Nuggets, the team they were chasing for the third seed in the West. But the Nuggets beat the Spurs and are the No. 3 seed.
The Lakers ( 53-29 ) are the fourth-seeded team and will have home-court advantage over the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 will be Saturday at 5:30 p. m.