As the regular season approaches its end, the Los Angeles Lakers have been gaining momentum. With a four-game winning streak and victories in nine of their last 10 games, they’ve climbed to eighth place in the Western Conference standings.

Their upcoming game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday is crucial. The Timberwolves currently hold the second spot in the West and are vying for the top seed. If the Lakers manage to win all four of their remaining regular season matches, they might even have a shot at bypassing the play-in tournament altogether.

However, the Lakers will be facing a challenge on Sunday as they’ll be without LeBron James, who has been sidelined due to illness.

Upon initial consideration, it might appear that the team will struggle to secure a victory against Anthony Edwards and company without James. However, surprisingly, Los Angeles has a 6-4 record without the NBA’s all-time leading scorer this season, and they have emerged victorious in four of their last five games played without him.