Lakers’ LeBron James, Anthony Davis catching fire ahead of NBA playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers arecurrently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with a record of41-32. They are also one of the conference's most polarizing teamswith the postseason right around the corner.

The West’s Play-In Tournamentcurrently includes the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, Lakers andGolden State Warriors. Assuming L.A. makes it out of the loadedentry tournament, the No. 1 and 2 seeds should hope to avoid them.They are one year removed from a Western Conference Finalsappearance, where they were swept by the eventual-champion DenverNuggets.

On Tuesday, the Lakers took downGiannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in a 128-124double-overtime thriller. With superstar LeBron James sidelined,big man Anthony Davis tallied 34 points and 23 rebounds throughleft knee pain, while guards Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russellcombined for 58 points and 22 assists on 17-of-42 shooting. TheLakers have proven that they can compete with the league’s topcontenders when they play to their full potential.

“He assured me he was gonna pushthrough. [The medical staff] said it was OK," head coach DarvinHam said of Davis' performance,according to The Athletic. "Just tolerance — whatever he could tolerate.And kudos to him, man. He played his ass off.”

The Lakers followed up thisrollercoaster win with a comfortable victory over the MemphisGrizzlies in the absence of Davis. This matchup was highlighted bya 30-point triple-double from James, along with a 32-pointperformance from forward Rui Hachimura. With nine games remainingin the regular season, LA hopes to continue their five-game winstreak to obtain a higher seed.

James and Davis are no strangersto finding triumph in the playoffs, winning a ring together in the2020 NBA Bubble. Consistency is the tandem’s greatest rival,whether it’s health concerns for James or mediocre scoring gamesfor Davis. However, both superstars rise to the occasion in thepostseason.

The Nuggets and Oklahoma CityThunder hold the top two seeds in the West, meaning the Lakers willlikely match up against one of them in the opening round. James andthe Lakers are familiar with coach Mike Malone and the Nuggets’style of play and strategy, which is one of their few hopes ofwinning.

However, if they find themselvesfacing off with the inexperienced Thunder, their chances of victoryskyrocket. Led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC is apowerhouse team. However, the differences in experience could beOKC's downfall. A battle-tested Lakers squad might end their seasonmuch earlier than expected.

The Lakers' next matchup comeson Friday night against Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers(41-33).