Los Angeles Lakers: 10 Important Games to Gauge Title-Defense Readiness

The Los Angeles Lakers are sitting comfortably in of one the top three spots in the Western Conference with only 20 games left to go until the playoffs. They would like to grab a higher seed, and with Tony Parker out, the Lakers could make a push and trim the San Antonio Spurs’ lead in the NBA.

With only 20 games to make this push, they not only have to keep the Spurs from winning and outpace the Dallas Mavericks, but they also need to focus on getting ready for the playoffs in order to defend their NBA title. This means finding a balance between winning enough games to snag a top two playoff spot and finding time to rest their veteran talent.

Of the remaining regular season games on the Lakers’ schedule, which are the most important to determine whether the Lakers will be able to defend their championship?

10. April 3 vs. Denver Nuggets

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DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 24: Danilo Gallinari #8 of the Denver Nuggets adjusts his knee brace as he prepares to reenter the game against the Boston Celtics during NBA action at the Pepsi Center on February 24, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Nuggets defeated

This may not seem like an important game on the surface.

After all, Carmelo Anthony is gone, so how tough can the Nuggets be? Well, underestimating the Nuggets, a team they could face in the first round, would be a mistake.

The Nuggets are 3-1 since losing Anthony to the Knicks, and all four matchups were against playoff-caliber teams. They will bring their best game against the Lakers, and because this will be a home game for them, the Lakers cannot lose.

It would make them look bad down the stretch, and they cannot afford another run like they had before the All-Star Game.

9. March 14 vs. Orlando Magic

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 28: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic warms his hands on the line during a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on January 28, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Magic 99-90. NOTE TO USER: User expr

The Lakers have very few remaining games against the East, and only two stand out.

One of those games is against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic in a matchup that starts off a huge seven-game home stretch.

The Magic are likely not going to be facing the Lakers in the Finals, but if the East has in fact gotten stronger, then the Lakers will need to win here. After all, if they lose to the Magic at home, could they be expected to beat the Heat, Celtics or Bulls? It starts to cast that kind of doubt.

They will be coming off a tough four-game road trip when this game begins, so if they can win in spite of any road fatigue, that will make them look quite formidable moving forward.

8. March 27 vs. New Orleans Hornets

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 19: Chris Paul #3 of the New Orleans Hornets competes in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge apart of NBA All-Star Saturday Night at Staples Center on February 19, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty

Another team that the Lakers could face in the first round en route to a title defense is the New Orleans Hornets, and like the matchup with the Nuggets, it should not be overly difficult to notch a win.

This is also near the end of the long homestand, so the Lakers should have no trouble.

That being said, by the time this game rolls around, the Hornets should have Carl Landry fully immersed in the system, and they will likely be fighting to clinch a playoff spot around this time. This will bring out their A-game, so the Lakers cannot sleep on them.

After all, they have one of the premier point guards in the league in Chris Paul.

7. April 8 at Portland Trail Blazers

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: Wesley Matthews #2 of the Portland Trailblazers and the Sophomore Team lays the ball up against the Rookie Team during the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam at Staples Center on February 18, 2011 in Los Angeles, Calif

In the same boat as the Nuggets and Hornets, we have the Portland Trail Blazers.

However, unlike those two games, there are some extra factors in play that would make a Lakers’ win more meaningful en route to a title defense.

First, the game will be away, and it will be late in the season. This may be a game to shrug off, as the Lakers may instead wish to concentrate on two of the final three games against the West’s elite teams. Should that happen, the Blazers would likely notch an upset win.

Second, despite all the injuries and problems they have had, the Blazers are still firmly mired in the playoff hunt. They are not a team that will look at the Lakers with fear, since they have had enough fear to deal with on their own roster.

That could make for an exciting matchup, and a convincing win would make the Lakers look really good.

6. March 12 at Dallas Mavericks

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 26: Jason Kidd #2 of the Dallas Mavericks against the Washington Wizardsat the Verizon Center on February 26, 2011 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Pho

We are now moving from potential first-round matchups to later-round matchups in the playoffs that could happen. These are the top teams in the league, and the Lakers will likely face them, so a win is necessary here to get the mental advantage.

The Mavericks aren’t talked about in terms of an NBA Finals possibility, but at 44-16 they have the second-best conference record in the West, and so far the Lakers have lost their only matchup against them. That makes this one all the more important, since they need to get that momentum back.

This is also the last game in the grueling four game road trip for the Lakers.

How grueling of a trip is it?

Two other games from that trip are yet to appear on this list, and they are even more important for the Lakers to prove their worth.

5. April 12 vs. San Antonio Spurs

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BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 05: Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts to a foul in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics on January 5, 2011 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that,

This end of the season matchup would normally be higher, and this rank will be dependent on whether or not both sides are still fighting for a seed.

If the Spurs or Lakers clinch the top seed, then this game won’t be as important. If that battle is still going on in the Lakers’ final home game, then this will be a tough game.

Tony Parker should be back and ready to face the Lakers as the two teams face off in what will likely be the conference finals. This provides one more opportunity for the Lakers to gain a mental advantage heading into the playoffs by winning that final game.

They at least need to win one game against this team, even if it is just the last one.

4. March 31 vs. Dallas Mavericks

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 26: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks before the start of a NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center on February 26, 2011 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and ag

While the upcoming matchup at Dallas is important, it comes at the end of a road trip, and if the Lakers lose, it could probably be shrugged off. Should that happen, or even if the Lakers win at Dallas, this suddenly becomes a very important game in their schedule as a must-win.

In this final matchup against the Mavericks at Los Angeles, the Lakers will either be looking for the series win or trying to prevent a season sweep. Either way, they’ll also need to figure out where their best matchups are and capitalize on them.

The Mavericks are not a team people have going far, so it is up to the Lakers to make sure they actually don’t.

3. April 10 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 19: Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder competes in the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest apart of NBA All-Star Saturday Night at Staples Center on February 19, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansez

The top three are potentially interchangeable as the most important regular season matchup, especially given the Kendrick Perkins trade the Thunder made.

This matchup near the end of the season, the Lakers’ most important game for evaluating their playoff hopes, will be the only time in the regular season that they will see Perkins in a Thunder uniform.

The Lakers have beaten the Thunder twice this season, so this should not be a hard game for them. However, Perkins could be that difference-maker for them, and he could do just enough to cost the Lakers a win. Doing so would give the Thunder hope come playoff time.

Conversely, a season sweep of the Thunder would make a playoffs matchup easy on the Lakers’ mindset because they know they could defeat them with ease.

2. March 10 at Miami Heat

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MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 25: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat looks on during a game against the Washington Wizards at American Airlines Arena on February 25, 2011 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading an

A Lakers-Heat NBA Finals matchup would be to David Stern, as well as to fans of both teams, a dream NBA Finals showdown.

This upcoming clash between the two at Miami will be a final look at this possible matchup before the playoffs, and after a decisive loss the first time, the Lakers need a win here.

It’s tough to say what a viable key to victory would be in this game given how badly they lost the first time. Needless to say, they need to use this matchup to find something that works against the Heat. The Celtics and other elite teams can beat the Heat, so the Lakers have no excuse.

Should they meet up in the NBA Finals, it will already be too late to try and devise a strategy; they need to have one in place already, and we will see if they do on March 10.

1. March 6 at San Antonio Spurs

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CHICAGO, IL - FEBRUARY 17: Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs sits on the bench with a knee injury near the end of a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on February 17, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bulls defeated the Spurs 109-99. N

In four days, the Lakers will have the matchup that could very well determine how the rest of their season pans out, including the playoffs.

Yes, the Spurs will be without Tony Parker, but that’s all the more reason that the Lakers need to win this. They need to keep the momentum of their five game win streak alive (which will presumably be six when the two teams meet up after a match against the Bobcats).

If the Lakers win, then they are starting the hardest part of their schedule on a high note, and they’ll be facing the Heat and other playoff teams riding that momentum. If they lose, then the momentum will grind to a halt, and it will make the tough part of their schedule that much harder.