Currently, the Lakers sit in the fourth seed, while the Warriors are in fifth and the Nuggets in third. The Lakers will be looking to secure a win against the New Orleans Pelicans, who will be missing key players like Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum. If the Warriors manage to defeat the Nuggets and the Lakers also emerge victorious, the Lakers could rise to the third seed, holding a one-game advantage over the Nuggets and a two-game cushion over the Warriors due to their favorable head-to-head record this season.