On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers ended their 2016-17 NBA season with a 109-94 loss in Oakland on the second night of a back-to-back, as the back-to-back defending Western Conference champions looked worth their NBA best record.
Kevin Durant looked like he hadn't missing a game, as the former MVP scored 29 points in 27 minutes to go along with eight rebounds and five assists. Durant made five of his seven three-pointers on the night and 11 of his 16 field goals overall.
Stephen Curry added 20 points, eight assists and five rebounds in 28 minutes.
For the Lakers, Tyler Ennis returned to the starting lineup, as D'Angelo Russell was still excused after the death of his grandmother. The 22-year-old point guard scored in double figures for the seventh time over the final 10 games of the season.
With Ennis running the point, the Lakers finished with all five starters scoring in double figures, even if LA could not keep up with the Warriors' shooting.
With the defeat, LA finished the 2016-17 season with a final record of 26-56, while the Warriors completed their regular season with a record of 67-15. For Golden State, that mark guaranteed home court for the entire post season.
For the Lakers, their final record placed them as the third worst team in the NBA, which is another way of saying it provided them the third best odds at getting a no. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery. The lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 16.
If the Lakers finish with any of the top three picks, they will get to keep their pick. If they finish out of the top three, their pick will go to the Philadelphia 76ers. Mathematically speaking, the Lakers have a 46.9 percent chance of staying in the top three and a 15.6 percent chance of finishing with the no. 1 overall pick.
