As 2022 comes to an end, here is a look at the Los Angeles Lakers end of the year schedule.
12/19: The Lakers will take on division rivals the Phoenix Suns on December 19. Any time these two rivals face off, it has playoff implications.
The Suns are currently ranked fifth in the western conference. While the Lakers are currently sitting in 12th place.
The last time these two played each other, the Suns came out victorious. Heading into this match up, the Lakers may have the upper hand. The Suns have been dealing with injuries left and right. Stars Devin Booker, Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton have all been dealing with various injuries.
12/21: On December 21 the Lakers will head to northern California to take on the Sacramento Kings. In previous years playing the Kings would seem like an automatic win for the Lakers. This year, however, has seen the Kings cement themselves toward the top of the western conference.
This will be the second of four matchups between the Lakers and Kings this season. The Kings won the first game between the two, with star De’Aaron Fox going for 32 points that night.
12/23: The Lakers only have one home game during December’s final stretch. They take on the Charlotte Hornets at home on December 23.
On paper, the Hornets may be the Lakers weakest threat during this stretch. They are currently 15 in the east.
The biggest threat to the Lakers is the return of LeMelo Ball earlier this week.
12/25: On Christmas day, the Lakers will face off against the Dallas Mavericks. This will be the first of four games between the two.
Like the Suns, the Mavericks pose a large playoff threat to the Lakers. They are ninth in the western conference. And like the suns, they are dealing with multiple injuries. Maxi Kleber and Josh Green are both out for an undetermined amount of time.
12/27-12/28: On the 27 and 28 of December, the Lakers head to Florida to take on the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat respectively.
The Magic are 13th in the west while the Heat are eighth. Both teams are coming out of long losing streaks and could be quite dangerous.
12/30: The last Laker’s game of 2022 will be against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks are ninth in the east.
The Hawks embody a lot of what the Lakers are missing this year. They are a young team with lots of shooting, which can be quite dangerous for this Lakers team.
The first half of the Lakers season has brought on many highs and lows. It is important for the Lakers to enter the second half of the season on a high note. Although the schedule for December is quit a tough one, it will make the next half of the season easier.
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