Nine — that is what the winning streak currently sits at for the Los Angeles Lakers. There is a very real chance that number is at 14 by the end of the month.
The Lakers have five games remaining in March. Los Angeles is humming and their schedule is kind enough to give them a chance to really snowball that momentum until the start of April. There is no such thing as a surefire victory in the NBA, but a least three of those games are on the easier end of the equation. The other two should still be manageable as well.
Standing between the Lakers and this winning streak hitting 10 are the Detroit Pistons. Normally, that would cause some to be intimidated. Not having Cade Cunningham, due to his unfortunate injury, will calm those fears. While they should not be overlooked altogether, the Pistons are not the same threat sans Cade.
After that, the Lakers get three straight matchups against teams who are already far more interested in the NBA Draft Lottery than the remainder of the season. Los Angeles will play the Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards in that order.
The biggest hurdle that will keep them from escaping the rest of the month unscathed will come on March 31. The Lakers face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back. If they can clear that matchup, they can ride a 14-game streak into one of their biggest showdowns of the year.
Everything is algining for the Lakers to hit that next level
The Lakers have been hitting all the right notes in the month of March.
Luka Doncic is playing MVP-level basketball. LeBron James is fitting in with an approach of less being more. Austin Reaves has upped his aggression. Even Deandre Ayton gave himself a reality check along the way. That is just the tip of the iceberg too.
It is not like the Lakers are suddenly completely invincible. However, a lot of the things that could be going right are absolutely pointed in that direction.
That is so clearly the case that it is not hard to look at the five-game stretch here and think the Lakers remain in the win column through all of it. Five more wins would set them up in a clash that features pitting their red-hot streak against the defending champions to start April.
The Lakers open the upcoming month on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That is easily the toughest matchup left on their schedule. Win that game and the folks in Los Angeles will dare to dream.
Counting wins before they are notched in the column may not always be the best practice. No one is going to assume any of these upcoming five are a foregone conclusion. However, with what everyone has seen from the Lakers of late, no one is going to think any of those games are unwinnable either.