Lakers Clinch Pacific Division, Eyes on Championship/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The Los Angeles Lakers clinched the Pacific Division title and No. 3 playoff seed with their 50th win, sparking confident talk of a championship. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves said the team believes they can go all the way. Coach JJ Redick praised the group’s resilience after a midseason overhaul.
Lakers Clinch Division, Set Sights on Title: Quick Looks
- Lakers clinched the Pacific Division Friday night with a dominant win over Houston, locking in the No. 3 seed.
- Luka Doncic led with 39 points, while LeBron James sat out postgame media duties.
- Coach JJ Redick got drenched in celebration, joking about “$17,000 in carpet damage” from ice bucket showers.
- Austin Reaves and Doncic expressed confidence, saying the team believes they can win the championship.
- The Lakers have gone 19-12 since Doncic arrived in a blockbuster February trade from Dallas for Anthony Davis.
- L.A. has the third-best home record in the league, finishing 31-10 at Crypto.com Arena.
- Redick praised his team’s resilience, citing their ability to overcome injuries, trades, and setbacks.
- The Lakers can now rest starters Sunday as they await their first-round playoff opponent.
- Doncic and James combined for 53 points Friday, giving a glimpse of their dangerous playoff potential.
- Reaves said the season has felt like “five years”, but applauded the team’s grit and growth through adversity.
Lakers Clinch Pacific Division, Eyes on Championship
Deep Look: Lakers Lock In Playoff Spot, Chase Banner No. 18
LOS ANGELES — With confetti still in the air and buckets of ice melted on the floor, the Los Angeles Lakers were already shifting their gaze to something bigger than the Pacific Division title they just secured.
“I feel like we can win a championship,” said Austin Reaves following the team’s 50th win of the season—a 127-105 rout of the Houston Rockets. “Everybody in that locker room believes that.”
The celebratory chaos inside the locker room painted a picture of a team both relieved and revitalized. Head coach JJ Redick, drenched and donning a green Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt—“the only dry thing I have,” he joked—was front and center as the Lakers toasted their return to the NBA elite.
A Midseason Shakeup, A New Identity
It wasn’t always clear the Lakers would make it this far. A massive midseason trade that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas in exchange for Luka Doncic shocked the NBA world in February. Since Doncic’s arrival on February 10, the Lakers have gone 19-12, building chemistry on the fly in a stacked Western Conference.
“We’ve had our ups and downs, but we stuck together,” Redick said. “Winning 50 games in this conference is no small feat.”
Doncic added 39 points in just three quarters Friday night, a reminder of why L.A. made the bold move to bring him in. Alongside LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, the Lakers now boast arguably the most dangerous 1-2 punch in the playoffs.
Rest and Reset Ahead of Playoffs
Clinching the No. 3 seed means the Lakers can sit their top players for Sunday’s finale against Portland, avoiding the exhausting play-in tournament that defined their past two postseasons.
“We’ve been through so much,” said Reaves. “It feels like five years, but also like it just started. Every time adversity hits, we bounce back.”
Now, with time to rest, recover, and scout their first-round opponent, the Lakers have a rare luxury: momentum and optimism.
Confidence in the Core
The locker room mood wasn’t just about celebration—it was about belief.
“I think we have the team to do it,” Doncic said. “When everybody is locked in, we’re hard to beat. That’s our goal.”
It’s a goal that feels more realistic by the day. The Lakers, now armed with Doncic’s scoring prowess and James’ leadership, look poised for a legitimate run at championship No. 18.
Their final regular season test is already behind them. What lies ahead is the postseason—something that no one in the Lakers’ camp is taking lightly.
“We’re not finished,” Redick said. “Tonight was about celebrating what we’ve done. Next week, it’s about chasing what we want.”
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