Lakers end February 10-2 with win vs Clippers

The Lakers finish the month of February 10-2 and with the San Antonio Spurs beating the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, the Lakers have snatched the 3rd seed in the West. They are 1 full game behind the Denver Nuggets for 2nd. Even more impressive, the Lakers played 8 teams above .500 in February and went 8-0 against them.

LA has won 17 of their last 21 games and are 16 games above .500 for the first time since the 2020 championship season. A large part of their success has come from their suffocating defensive identity. They have held teams to under 102 points in the last 6 games. Their switch-heavy defense, as well as their ability to help and recover, allows for an incredibly versatile defensive presence.

LeBron James continues to trek uncharted territory for a player in his 22nd year. He's posted 29.3 points per game, 10.5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists and chalked up two 40+ point games for the month of February. For reference, the legendary Vince Carter is the only other player in NBA history to play 22 seasons and he averaged 5.0 points per game, 2.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists. James has also entered a Top 5 spot in the MVP leaderboards.

Luka Doncic, whilst still finding his way back into rhythm, dropped 31 points, 3 steals, and 5 assists against the Clippers on 9-22 shooting. To say a player who's already had two 30+ point games on his new team in a 1-week span is still "finding his groove" just shows how lethal of a player Doncic is.

Austin Reaves keeps on flourishing, averaging 22.0 points, 5.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds on the month including a 45-point game against the Pacers. The injuries to Hachimura and Reaves are a tough blow for this group, but nothing that should keep them out for a lengthy amount of time. Hachimura will be reevaluated in 1 week and Reaves remains day-to-day after his MRI scan on his right calf revealed no serious injury according to Shams Charania, EPSN.

As the Lakers continue to gel at the right time, the toughest part of the schedule is approaching fast, and this team looks battle-tested and ready to face the challenge. Go LakeShow!