The Los Angeles Lakers have a magic number: 105. Arbitrary as it may seem, the Lakers are currently 9-2 when they allow fewer than 105 points in 2025-26. Unfortunately, committing to defense hasn't been the easiest task for Los Angeles to take on this season.
If the Lakers are hoping to escape their sustained dip into mediocrity, however, their stars need to embrace 105 as an even bigger target than their goals on offense.
Los Angeles is 5-5 over its past 10 games and 2-3 over its past five. During the longer stretch, four of the Lakers' five wins have come during games that they've allowed 105 points or less. They've allowed no fewer than 110 during their losses.
110 isn't a horrible number, of course, but what's become clear as the season has progressed is that the top-heavy offensive firepower makes its greatest impact when defense is a priority.
Thus far in 2025-26, the Lakers are allowing 112.0 points per game and 111.9 points per 100 possessions during their 36 wins. By comparison, they're allowing 120.6 points per game and 123.1 points per 100 possessions during their 24 losses.
The Lakers' star trio of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves can put up points with the best of them, but if they don't lead a consistent effort on defense, this season will be lost.
Lakers are 9-2 when they allow 105 points or less
Los Angeles is currently No. 1 in the NBA in field goal percentage and No. 10 in offensive rating. Doncic is on pace to win the scoring title, Reaves is having a career year at 24.1 points and 5.4 assists per game, and James still looks the offensive star part at 21.6 points and 7.0 assists per contest.
Unfortunately, the Lakers are also No. 22 in the NBA in defensive rating and No. 26 in opponent field goal percentage.
To make matters worse, the only four teams with a worse opponent field goal percentage have won 18 games or less. In fact, Los Angeles is the only team in the bottom six in said statistic that have won even 19 games at this point in the season.
It should thus come as no surprise that the Lakers barely have a positive net rating at 0.2, as well as a 13-17 record against teams that are .500 or better.
Furthermore, Los Angeles is 4-6 against the other five Western Conference teams on pace to make the playoffs in 2025-26—and three of their wins were before Nov. 6. They've allowed 118.4 points per game during that time, including 112.0 during wins and 122.3 during losses.
Though it'd border on impossible for this team to allow 105 points per game, it's clear that it's a number they should be aiming for with a clear correlation between defense and winning.