The Lakers are in fourth place in the the west

Don’t blink…the Lakers are in fourth place in the West. 

They look good defensively, They’ve won six of their last seven games. Deandre Ayton even has been a difference-maker. 

Could the Lakers be turning things around? 

Things change fast in the NBA. Just a few weeks ago, it was time to press the panic button. They had gone 4-4 on their eight-game homestand. They had lost three games in a row. 

Since then, they’ve been on a dramatic upswing, capped most recently by a 120-106 win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday. 

From top to bottom, everyone was engaged. 

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves had 31 points apiece. Ayton had a double-double in the first half with 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 11 rebounds. Marcus Smart played swarming defense on Anthony Edwards, holding him to just 14 points on 2-for-15 shooting. Even Jake LaRavia, who shot 1-for-7 from the field, was excellent, acting as an energizer battery.

The Lakers have now piled consecutive statement wins after also beating the Knicks on Sunday (110-97).

And the craziest part of it all? 

The Lakers shined against both teams on defense. That’s right, the Lakers, who are 20th in the league in defensive rating, outshined the ninth-rated Timberwolves and eighth-rated Knicks on that side of the court 

“It was very encouraging,” Doncic said.

With a month left in the season, the Lakers are starting to peak at the right time. 

Before this stretch, the Lakers were languishing. The negative narratives about them were planted and watered for weeks. Doncic is a liability. LeBron James needs to leave the team. Ayton is a bust. 

The Lakers tried to ignore the white noise. And now, they’ve seemingly changed the channel altogether. 

When asked if the tide is turning for the Lakers, Doncic didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah, of course,” he said. “I think we’re playing some of our best basketball games, you know, of the season. And like I said before, it starts with our defense. I think everybody’s putting in the effort, and that’s not easy to do, you know? And I think we’re doing it now.”

Of course, even during this win-streak there has been some drama.

The Lakers’ last three wins came without James, who has been sidelined because of left foot arthritis and elbow and hip issues. The Lakers are now 10-2 without the megastar, which has sparked questions over whether The Big Three actually works

Redick, however, is confident the stars will figure things out. 

“We’re going to get there,” he said. “We’ve seen some positive signs and I know LeBron, he recognizes the importance of having Luka as the engine. All he really wants is to impact winning. I’ve said this now for the last two weeks, we’re going to get there.”

The Big Three has definitely made strides after only playing 11 games together before the All-Star break. Amid the Lakers’ current winning streak, they led the team to routes over Golden State and Sacramento in consecutive games.

Over the last seven games, things have been trending in the right direction for the Lakers.

The Big Three is finding their rhythm. They’re excelling on the defensive end. They’re beating great teams. 

The Lakers are beginning to figure things out. 

With the playoffs around the corner, things could get interesting.

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