The Los Angeles Lakers (29-26) seem to have found their spark.
After a season full of ups and downs, the Lakers are starting to hit their stride, winning five out of their last six games, and look to close out this recent stretch by picking up a win against the Jazz ahead of the all-star break.
Their recent hot streak includes wins against the Celtics, Knicks, and following their recent 125-110 win Monday night against the Pistons. The Lake Show are looking to move up the Western Conference standings in order to avoid the dreaded play-in.
Los Angeles Lakers: Finding Their Stride
Despite the noise surrounding a possible LeBron James trade from teams like the Warriors and Sixers, along with the lack of moves during the trade deadline, the Lakers have picked up some positive momentum as of late.
Their recent win saw the Lakers beat up on the league-worst Detroit Pistons, behind 25 points and eight assists from LeBron James as well as 20 points and 14 rebounds from Anthony Davis.
Point guard D'Angelo Russell scored 21 points and knocked down four three-pointers along with Rui Hachimura who chipped in with 15 points.
Their recent win puts them three games above .500 for the first time since December 17th, sitting behind the number eight seed Sacramento Kings.
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Los Angeles Lakers: Role Players Getting it Done
The key to the Lakers recent success has been role players stepping up.
Russell, who signed a two-year deal last summer, has been able to light a spark to the Lakers since rejoining the starting lineup in January.
He has had some big time performances as of late to give the Lakers some much needed perimeter scoring and a third option behind their two co-superstars in Anthony Davis and LeBron James.
Austin Reaves has also continued to be a pivotal piece for the Lakers, specifically during their winning streak, where he had a big 27 point performance against the Pelicans.
It's not hard to believe the Lakers would be a problem for any team they face in the postseason if they get out of the play-in.
LeBron James, even in his 40s, is still one of the best players in basketball and a healthy Anthony Davis has proven also to be one of the league's elite.
The Lakers are peaking at the right time, with one Western Conference exec saying that the Lakers were a team no one wants to see in the playoffs, according to one source told ESPN.
The Lakers want to replicate their late-season push success similar to last season. One that saw the team go 18-10 in the final stretch of the 2022-23 season to make an improbable run to the Western Conference finals before losing to the Denver Nuggets.
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