On Saturday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers picked up one of the biggest wins of the 2025-26 NBA season with a thrilling overtime win over the Denver Nuggets. It looked like the Lakers were dying for possession in the final seconds of regulation, but Austin Reaves' intentionally missed free throws were executed to perfection, and Luka Doncic ultimately won things for Los Angeles in the extra frame.
After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick attempted to expand his vocabulary to explain how the Lakers are coming together at the right time.
"Is 'coalesces' a word? Is it the right word? To come together?". Redick asked, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I think it feels like we're coming together pretty well right now. There's still a long way to go, but definitely optimistic about how we've handled this run of games. ... It's big time."
The Lakers are currently on a five-game winning streak, and have suffered losses to some tough competition, including both the Nuggets and New York Knicks last week. The questions about the Lakers' defense are beginning to subside, as Los Angeles has played some better basketball on that end of the floor amid its winning streak.
Los Angeles currently sits in third place in the Western Conference, the same spot where they finished the regular season a year ago, and as the NBA Playoffs approach, the team certainly looks to be playing its best basketball at the right time.
It also helps that Los Angeles remains mostly healthy, as Reeves, Doncic and LeBron James are getting a chance to consistently share the floor for the first time all season.
Los Angeles will take the field for the first of two road games versus the Houston Rockets on Monday evening.
