LOS ANGELES -- Back in training camp, the Lakers made it known their mission was to get back to the playoffs after last season's disappointment.
Sunday's regular-season finale, a 128-117 win over the Utah Jazz, didn't guarantee L.A. a first-round berth, but it will be playing beyond game No. 82.
The Lakers clinched the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament and will host the No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
A win would lock the Lakers into a first-round series with the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies, starting on the road Sunday. A loss would mean L.A. plays again Friday at home against the winner of the play-in game between the No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans and No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder in order to earn the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with the No. 1 Denver Nuggets, which would also start on the road Sunday.
"Obviously it's different because usually in the postseason you have multiple days of prep for a team. But you literally have one day to prep," LeBron James said after scoring a team-high 36 points against Utah. "But you're kind of locked in on everything that needs to be done. For us, it's just good that we don't need to travel. We've traveled a lot lately. It's good that we get to stay here, but we shouldn't be comfortable. We have to stay on edge and get ready for the game."
L.A. finished the season by winning nine of its final 11 games, including a 123-111 win in Minnesota on March 31. The Timberwolves won the regular season series 2-1, however. Minnesota shot up to the No. 8 spot by winning seven of its last 10 games, including Sunday's 113-108 victory over New Orleans.
But the Pelicans game could have a hangover effect on the Wolves after center Rudy Gobert was sent home by the organization for punching teammate Kyle Anderson during an argument by the team bench and forward Jaden McDaniels fractured his right hand when he punched a wall on his way to the locker room at halftime, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
James detailed the threat the Wolves present, regardless.
"It's a challenge versus everybody, and Minnesota is no different," James said. "When you got guys like KAT [Karl-Anthony Towns] and Anthony Edwards, those guys can both go for 40 against you. ... You have a very cerebral, solid point guard in Mike Conley who's been in multiple playoff games. So, listen, we know what we're getting ourselves into."
L.A. should be fully healthy for the game, with James having played the final eight games of the season after missing a month with a torn tendon in his right foot; Anthony Davis having played the final 12 games after missing 20 games earlier in the season with a right foot injury of his own; and D'Angelo Russell having played the final three games after missing time with left foot soreness. Mo Bamba is available after missing a month with a high ankle sprain and Dennis Schroder missed the last two games with neck soreness, but he is expected to return by Tuesday.
The Lakers played seven games over the final 12 days of the season, so coach Darvin Ham emphasized that L.A.'s prep for the Wolves would be centered more around film work and walk-throughs rather than live action to allow his players' bodies to rest as much as possible.
"Be efficient with how we spend our non-game days. Make sure they're getting the proper treatment between now and Tuesday," Ham said. "But they're aware, man. These stakes are high and a lot of times, I don't want to call it pressure, but the challenges of guys knowing what's at stake can weigh on them a little bit. But here we are, we know what's in front of us."
Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who had 12 points, 6 assists and 0 turnovers against Utah, said L.A. would also lean on the institutional knowledge of the three Lakers who used to play for the Wolves in Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley.
"Anytime that you have a player that's played for another team, at least I do, when they call out a play, communicate back and forth [you ask them] like, 'What's going on?' because they've been in the system and played there," Reaves said.
While the Lakers still need to win one more game to stamp their playoff goal, for a team that started the season 2-10, Sunday's result was an occasion for the team to be appreciative of the journey it's been on so far.
"We put ourselves in a position where we can move on. That's all we asked for, to put ourselves in a position to move on," James said. "We obviously had a very, very slow start. ... So, to know where we are today, you can be happy about that but not satisfied."