Does it matter?

This will be a daily question in coaches meetings and from the media until the end of the season. This is what Lakers coach Phil Jackson had to say about the Western Conference playoff race and whether first place really matters, on Monday night.

“There’s a great amount of prestige in finishing in first place after 82 games. It’s as simple as that. It does not win you anything in the playoffs. It wins you the seeding, but as we know in the West it can be a recipe for an upset (No. 8 Golden State upset No. 1 Dallas last season). … This year, there’s a lot of chance for anyplace being an upset.”