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If the #3 Lakers sweep this week’s 2-game series with the #4 Rockets, they would then have a 2-game lead to lock down the #3 seed in the West and own tiebreakers with the #4 Rockets, #5 Nuggets, and #6 Timberwolves.

Saturday night’s miraculous victory over their nemesis Denver Nuggets was the best Los Angeles Lakers triumph since winning the 2020 NBA Title. The back-and-forth heroics by players on both teams was truly playoff quality. Reaves’ crafty intentional missed FT and floater to send the game into OT, LeBron’s horizontal dive for that loose ball, Marcus Smart’s clutch steal and key three in OT, and Luka’s killer fade-away to win it were unforgettable.

Right now, there’s no team in the NBA that’s as hot as the Los Angeles Lakers. Two weeks ago, the team was in disarray after losing three straight including two at the buzzer and looking nothing like a playoff contender.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and the red hot Lakers are on a 5-game heater with 8 wins in their last 9 games, including impressive victories over 3 of the Top-10 teams in the NBA in the Knicks, Timberwolves, and Nuggets

The Lakers right now are playing their best basketball of the year. They’re on the precipice of locking down the #3 seed in the West if they can sweep their 2-game Monday and Wednesday road series against the Rockets.
Before winning 8 of 9, the Lakers’ had 116.0 offensive rating (#11), 116.8 defensive rating (#24), and -0.8 net rating (#19). Last 9 games, LA had 122.5 offensive rating (#2), 110.1 defensive rating #6, and +12.3 net rating(#2).

Houston dominated Los Angeles 119–06 in their only meeting last Christmas day but these aren’t the same Lakers the Rockets manhandled in December. Lakers will win both games and steal Rockets’ tiebreaker.