NBA Playoffs 2012 Bracket: Late-Season Slate Poses Difficult Dilemma for Lakers

Matchups often mean the difference between a deep run or an early exit out of the NBA playoffs.

Just ask the Los Angeles Lakers, who were done in by the streaking Dallas Mavericks in last year's postseason, and figure to fall short of the Finals once again if the dominoes don't fall their way.

In a perfect world, the Purple and Gold would wind up as the third seed in the Western Conference, by way of their Pacific Division crown, with the Oklahoma City Thunder in first, the San Antonio Spurs in second, the Clippers in fourth and the Memphis Grizzlies in fifth.

The Lakers would face either the Mavericks, against whom they swept the season series, or the Denver Nuggets, whom they've beaten three times out of four in the first round.

(Check.)

Then they would do no worse than face the Spurs, a team against whom LA owns a decisive size advantage.

A fact to which Andrew Bynum's 30-rebound bonanza last week can attest.

(Check.)

Suppose that works out in the Lakers' favor, they would ideally await either the Clippers or the Grizzlies in the Western Conference finals. Either one of those teams could conceivably send the young-gun Thunder—to whom the Lakers have lost twice in decisive fashion this season—out of the race.

On the other hand, the Lakers have gone a combined 4-2 against their Staples Center co-tenants and the Grizz. Both would be tough outs, regardless, though still entirely beatable for Kobe Bryant and company.

(Check?)

That being said, shaping the playoff picture like so figures to be risky business for the Lakers, to say the least. They'll play at San Antonio on Friday and host OKC on Sunday before finishing the season in Sacramento.

The Pacific Division will belong to the Lakers once again so long as they finish in no worse than a tie with the Clips, who have three tough road games against the Suns, the Hawks and the Knicks on tap, with a home game against the Hornets in between.

The question then becomes, how can the Lakers ensure that the Thunder finish ahead of the Spurs?

Well, for one, they can beat the Spurs on Friday, in Kobe's first action after missing seven games with a shin injury. San Antonio shouldn't have too much trouble in its last four games after Friday (home to Cleveland and Portland, on the road at Phoenix and Golden State), making it that much more important that LA take care of business in the Alamo City.

Of course, even if the Lakers do that much and the Thunder go 4-0 down the stretch (including Sunday's game in LA), they'll still need San Antonio to slip up somewhere else, since the Spurs own the season-series tiebreak over OKC.

Confused yet?

Either way, the last thing the Lakers want is a dogfight with Memphis in the first round.

If they can hold on to the three-seed and get the Thunder and the Spurs to finish 1-2, all the better. Otherwise, the road out of the West will be as perilous as ever for the Purple and Gold.

Then again, when hasn't it been during the Kobe-Pau years?

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