The Lakers deny tanking, and so do the Timberwolves.
But both teams should be jockeying for draft position. That outweighs the value of a March win in a lost season.
The Lakers, who entered the game with the NBA’s fourth-worst record, faced second-worst Minnesota tonight.
Trying to hold a three-point lead late in regulation, the Lakers played horrendous defense and allowed Chase Budinger an open corner 3-pointer:
That gave the Lakers another chance to blow the game in overtime, but Jordan Clarkson destroyed the Lakers’ ability to make up lottery ground with his clutch free throws:
I know Budinger and Clarkson aren’t tanking. Why would they help their team draft a player who could replace them?
But both, through no fault of their own, hurt their franchises tonight. Clarkson just did so a little more.
