LOS ANGELES (AP) — After the Los Angeles Lakers beat Houston on Friday night to clinch the Pacific Division title and the third seed in the playoffs with their 50th victory of the season, their postgame celebration was both wild and wet.
The jubilant shouts and roars from their locker room could be heard through the cement walls of the tunnel in their downtown arena. The aquatic element of the festivities became obvious moments later when coach JJ Redick emerged with damp hair and wearing a green Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt, which he called “the only dry item of clothing I have.”
“Hopefully, in the next nine days, the $17,000 in damage to the carpet can get fixed," Redick said jokingly. “There was about eight ice buckets put on me.”
Redick and his players had earned a few moments of fun. A team led by a rookie head coach and LeBron James has navigated through a massive midseason trade, survived several recent setbacks and emerged as a clear contender for a deep playoff run.
And perhaps even a title challenge for a franchise with 17 banners already in the rafters?
“I feel like we can win a championship, to be honest with you,” Austin Reaves said. “The reason for that is I know everybody in that locker room believes that.”
James didn't speak to the media after the game, but Luka Doncic echoed Reaves' assessment of the Lakers' belief in their championship quality after they wrapped up the division with their seventh win in 10 games down the stretch.
“I think we have the team to do it,” said Doncic, who scored 39 points in three quarters against the Rockets. “When everybody is locked in, we’re a hard team to beat, so that’s our goal.”
The goal seems increasingly realistic, which is even more impressive because this version of the Lakers has only been together for two months.
Doncic played his first game for Los Angeles on Feb. 10, several days after the Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball world by dealing the Slovenian superstar in a package for Anthony Davis. The Lakers are 19-12 since then — not a jaw-dropping record, but one that stands out given the upheaval they've faced.
“The guys that have been here all along, they went through every single peak and valley,” Redick said. “I think even this third iteration of this team has gone through a bunch of peaks and valleys. Just incredibly proud of our team. It’s an accomplishment to win 50 games in the regular season in any year, particularly in this year, in this Western Conference.”
The Lakers now have one of the NBA's best scorers in their lineup next to the top scorer in basketball history, and the partnership is increasingly enticing.
Doncic and James combined for 53 points in 53 minutes against the Rockets in what was probably their final outing before the playoffs begin next weekend. Los Angeles also finished 31-10 at home, posting the third-best home record in the league.
Clinching the No. 3 seed means the Lakers can rest their top players Sunday in Portland, and everyone can get some time off next week while the play-in tournament occurs. Los Angeles had to slog through the play-in games in each of the previous two seasons after finishing seventh in the West with James and Anthony Davis.
When the Lakers finally learn their first-round matchup Sunday, they can begin mentally preparing for the final chapter in a season full of drama — but still lacking a Hollywood ending.
“I was joking with my best friend the other day, talking about how I feel like this year has been five years in total, but then again, it feels like it just started at the same time,” ...
