After the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Houston on Friday evening to conquer the Pacific Division title and the third seed in the play -offs with their 50th season’s victory, their post game celebration was both wild and wet.
The jubilant screaming and roaring from their dressing room could be heard through the cement walls of the tunnel in their city center. The aquatic element of the festivities was obvious a little later when coach JJ Redick appeared with damp hair and a green Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt, that he “the only dry garment I have.”
“Hopefully the $ 17,000 can be solved on the carpet in the next nine days,” Redick said for the joke. “About eight ice buckets were put on me.”
Redick and his players had earned a few moments of pleasure. A team led by a Rookie head coach and LeBron James navigated through a huge trade in the middle season, survived several recent setbacks and came to the fore to show that a deep play -off run.
And maybe even a title challenge for a franchise with 17 banners already in the trusses?
“I feel that we can win a championship to be honest,” said Austin Reaves. “The reason for this is that I know in that dressing room, believes that.”
James did not speak with the average after the game, but Luka Doncic repeated the assessment of Reaves of the Lakers’ belief in their championship quality after they had completed the division with EMIR winning in 10 games in the play.
“I think we have the team to do it,” said Doncic, who scored 39 points in three -quarters against the rockets. “If everyone is locked up, we are a difficult team to beat, so that is our goal.”
The targets are increasingly realistic, which is even more impressive because this version of the Lakers is only two months together.
Doncic played his first game for Los Angeles on 10 February, a few days after the Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball world by acting the Slovenian superstar in a package for Anthony Davis. The Lakers are 19-12 since the not astonishing record, but one that stands out given that the unrest they are dealing with.
“The boys who have been here all the time, they went through every peak and valley,” said Redick. “I think that even this third iteration of this team went through a number of peaks and valleys. Just incredibly proud of our team. It is a achievement to win 50 games in the regular season in every year, especially in this year, in this Western conference.”
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The Lakers now have one of the best scorers of the NBA in their line -up next to the top scorer in basketball history, and the partnership is increasingly seductive.
Doncic and James combined 53 points in 53 minutes against the rockets in what their outing probablay was before the play -offs start next weekend. Los Angeles also finished 31-10 at home and posted the third best home record in the competition.
Clicking the no. 3 seed means that the Lakers can rest their top players in Portland on Sunday, and everyone can get free time next week while the play-in tournament takes place. Los Angeles had to keep an eye on the play-in games in each of the unprise for two seasons in the west with James and Anthony Davis.
When the Lakers finally learn their first round matchup on Sunday, they can mentally prepaing for the final chapter in a season full of drama, but still lacks Hollywood end.
“The other day I joked with my best friend and talked about how I think this year was a total of five years, but the once again, it feels like it started just at the same time,” said Reaves. “If this group is experienced, every time we touch the type of adversity, we immediately bundle back, and that is all you can ask from a group.”
Reporting by the Associated Press.
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