Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers
4/17/13
7:30 PM Pacific time / 10:30 PM Eastern Time
Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
TV: Local: TWC Sportsnet, TWC Deportes National: ESPN
Line: Los Angeles Lakers -2.5
2012-13 Records:
Los Angeles Lakers: 44-37, 8th in the Western Conference
Houston Rockets: 45-36, 7th in the Western Conference
Record vs. each other (2012-13 season): Rockets 2-1 vs. Lakers this season.
- The season comes down to 1 game for the Los Angeles Lakers. A win against the Rockets tonight and they earn the 7th spot in the playoffs and a first round match up against the San Antonio Spurs. A Lakers loss tonight and they might be beginning exit interviews as early as tomorrow.
- The Lakers will know just how high the stakes of tonight’s game against the Houston Rockets will be right before tip off. The Utah Jazz will play at the Memphis Grizzlies in the first match up of ESPN’s double header. If the Utah Jazz win the Lakers will be in a win or go home position. If the Jazz lose, the Lakers will clinch a playoff spot and do no worse than the 8th seed. Even if the Lakers do clinch prior to the start of their game tonight, they will be pushing for that 7th seed in order to avoid the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
- The Memphis Grizzlies are still playing for home court advantage in the 1st round of the playoffs. The Grizzlies are currently tied with the Los Angeles Clippers who play the Sacramento Kings on the road tonight. A Grizzlies win combined with a Denver Nuggets win and Clippers lose, and Memphis gets a home court in the first round against the Clippers.
- Steve Nash is ruled out for tonight’s game with the hamstring injury and his return in the playoffs, if they Lakers can reach them, is in question.
– Fern Rea “@fullcourtfern”
Raining3s 
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