In the months before, the frailty of the NBA season seems more abstract, each game representing an equal 1.2% slice of the season. When you're in the grind of it, the tomorrows eclipse any finality. Until it gets here - and then all you're left with are 'if onlys.' If only the Lakers had been sharper out of the in-season tournament.
The Lakers are now half a game ahead of the Warriors, the teams now tied with 35 losses and Golden State owning the season tiebreaker. The Lakers finish the season in Memphis and New Orleans on Friday and Sunday, their postseason fate largely out of their hands.
Before Tuesday's game, there was plenty of suspense. It started with word that Davis wouldn't be able to play because of headaches and nausea. It continued when players inside the locker room said they hadn't even seen James at the arena.
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