LOS ANGELES—Nearly everything about this season has been a grueling challenge for the Los Angeles Lakers, so nobody in a gold jersey really seemed surprised when Anthony Davis committed a baffling foul that allowed Minnesota’s Mike Conley to snatch a playoff berth from their hands with 0.1 seconds on the regulation clock.
The Lakers simply absorbed the latest body blow to their championship hopes and played on.
Five overtime minutes later, they finally claimed a postseason berth that seemed all but unattainable just a couple of months ago.
LeBron James had 30 points and 10 rebounds, and the Lakers snagged the seventh spot in the Western Conference playoffs with a 108–102 victory over the short-handed Timberwolves in the NBA’s play-in tournament Tuesday night, April 11….