Can the Lakers Make the Playoffs Outright? Anthony Davis Steps Up in LeBron James’ Absence

• Anthony Davis has carried the scoring cudgels for the Lakers since LeBron’s injury
• The Lakers have won three of their last five games without James in the lineup
• Their backcourt will be bolstered soon by the returning D’Angelo Russell

Many Lakers fans feared the worst when LeBron James went down injured against the Dallas Mavericks.

Los Angeles was outside the playoff picture when the team announced that James would be sidelined for multiple weeks.

Surprisingly, the nightmare scenario did not materialize as the Lakers racked up wins even without their star player.

Can they keep it up? Here are three reasons why the LeBron-less Lakers can continue their playoff push.

Anthony Davis is the key

Golden State Warriors beat LA Clippers to register fourth straight win

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Davis has been playing lights out since James was diagnosed with a foot injury. He scored 28 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Lakers’ 121-109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Davis followed that up with a 38-point showing in the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, which they lost 110-102. With the Lakers’ season unraveling again, Davis took it upon himself to carry the team on his back in their last two games.

He scored 39 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out six assists in the Lakers’ stunning 113-105 win over the Golden State Warriors, per Fox Sports.

The victory was unexpected as the Warriors headed into that contest with a five-game winning streak, and Stephen Curry also returned to Golden State’s starting lineup.

Davis made sure the Lakers won’t collapse down the stretch against the defending champs, scoring 12 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter.

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Davis continued his hot scoring in the Lakers’ last game against the Memphis Grizzlies, dropping 30 points in Los Angeles’ 112-103 win.

Long home stand for Lakers

The Lakers have gone 3-2 since LeBron went down with that foot injury, moving them into a tie with the New Orleans Pelicans for the ninth seed in the Western Conference.

There is now growing optimism that the Lakers will reach the playoffs outright. Only the top six teams in each conference are guaranteed spots in the postseason. The Lakers are just two games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for sixth place in the Western Conference.

The good news for the Lakers is that they will enjoy homecourt advantage in seven of their next nine games. They are 17-15 at Crypto.com Arena this season.

Russell to return vs. Raptors

Help is on the way for the surging Lakers as D’Angelo Russell is set to return to their lineup. According to Shams Charania, the 27-year-old guard is expected to return for Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors.

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He is averaging 13.5 points and 5.0 assists per game since joining the Lakers after the trade deadline. However, Russell’s second stint with the Lakers was derailed by an ankle injury he suffered during the game against the Warriors weeks ago.

Gasol's greatest Laker moments

Sports Brief recently reported on Pau Gasol's greatest moments as a Los Angeles Laker.

He helped the Lakers win the title in 2009, beating the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals.

They replicated that feat one year later, beating the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Finals.