Los Angeles Lakers: The eight most important games for the playoff push

The final four:

• March 22 @ New Orleans Pelicans

If the Lakers can take care of business in the first four most important matchups they will find themselves right in the mix for an eighth seed. Thus, the final four games become the final nail in the coffin to stamp themselves into the Western Conference’s top eight teams.

This starts with the New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans currently holds the eighth seed in the Western Conference. However, without DeMarcus Cousins, the chances of the Pelicans holding onto that stop become slimmer.

The Lakers still do have other competition (which we will get to in the next three matchups) but it all starts with the final matchup against the Pelicans. A win here would be the biggest to that point of the season.

• April 3 @ Utah Jazz, April 8 vs Utah Jazz

Much like the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers are going to square off against the Utah Jazz two times in a four-game stretch. Of course, LA is not going to be able to win every one of these games, but if they win both against Utah, they put themselves in a great position.

The Los Angeles Lakers dropped the only contest to the Jazz earlier in the year with a 96-81 defeat in October. However, the Los Angeles Lakers are far better now than they were back in October.

So are the Jazz. Utah is winners of nine of their last ten and won 11 in a row before falling to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Jazz are the biggest wild card of this entire playoff picture. They have been exceptional and terrible all in the same season, it is hard to pinpoint where they will come April. Either way, these games are huge.

April 11 @ Los Angeles Clippers

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The Los Angeles Lakers close the season the same way it was opened: facing the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers dropped the opening contest of the season, 108-92, and have lost all three contests against the Clippers this season.

However, this is the first matchup between the two sides since the Blake Griffin trade. At this point, if the playoffs are on the line, the talent difference is far smaller and the Lakers have a much better shot at finally defeating the Clippers.

The Clippers are just one game back of the eighth-seeded Pelicans and very well could hold that position come April 11. Although it would take a lot of stones to fall in the right place, this LA matchup could decide who will be the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

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If that is the case, this easily becomes the biggest regular season NBA game this year, period. If the Lakers can take care of business in the first seven games, the eighth is poised to be something special.