The Los Angeles Lakers squared off with the Sacramento Kings on the final night of the regular season. A win would ensure the Lakers of the number two seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

How did the two-time defending champions respond? By blowing a 20 point lead in the fourth quarter before finally overcoming the less than explosive Kings in overtime.

If ever a team was limping toward the finish line, the Lakers are it.

Forget about the fact that they won their final two games. Needing a Kobe Bryant three pointer in the closing seconds to force said overtime and beating the Spurs' reserves are nothing to write home about.

The Lakers ending up with the 2 seed is the equivalent of that idiot who drives home drunk- yeah, they made it home but they're lucky no one got killed in the process.

The Lakers were rolling since the All-Star break, until an untimely loss to the Denver Nuggets a couple of weeks ago ended their quest for the best record in the West.

What ensued was a 2-5 stretch that has everyone wondering if father time has indeed caught up with arguably the NBA's most talented team. Those questions are still unanswered.

Undoubtedly, this is not their first rodeo. It is indeed possible that everyone's angst is unwarranted.

After all, in the playoffs you only need to go 16-12.

The Lakers draw the New Orleans Hornets, a team that might just be perfect to get then on a roll. The Lakers hold a clear advantage in the frontcourt, and while the Hornets counter with point guard Chris Paul, no one matches Kobe.

In the end, the Lakers may just end up completing their second three-peat this century. From what we've seen recently, no one should be too confident though.