The Los Angeles Lakers got out of a tough back-to-back on the road against the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks with two more wins in the books. By all means, no one would have blamed them for dropping either of those contests amid a loaded slate of games to start the year. Instead, the Lakers are marching forward with six wins in a row.
It is not just the fact that Los Angeles won both. It is how they won each of those matchups.
They were without the MVP frontrunner for their game in Detroit. Austin Reaves stepped up and dropped a 40-ball on the Pistons' heads. The Lakers roared out of the gates in the first quarter and did just enough to hold off last year's top seed in the East through the remaining three after that.
What followed was a date against a Hawks team that is filled with high-energy and lengthy defenders. On the second night of a back-to-back, that should have been exactly the type of squad who the Lakers were going to struggle against. Los Angeles was even missing Austin Reaves and Quentin Grimes.
Instead of rolling over and taking a scheduled loss, the Lakers secured another dub. Luka Doncic filled up the stat sheet while getting ample support from the likes of Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Collin Sexton, and company. Suddenly, Los Angeles is heading for a favorable six-game stretch after proving they can more than hang in scenarios of the opposite kind.
Lakers winning the hard ones only adds to contending hopes
The Lakers have proven thus far that they can take care of the easy ones this season. Now, they also have a handful of examples where they fought off the harder challenges as well.
Luckily for them, they will get to add to the momentum built from these last few games by getting gifted a slate of favorable matchups again. Their next six contests will feature outings against the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz (twice), and the Sacramento Kings.
You never count the wins until they happen in the NBA. Even so, the Lakers have to be licking their chops at a lighter stretch of the schedule after combating three back-to-backs in their first 12 games already. There will only be one such instance in the next six.
All of this sets them up to roll into their Nov. 27 matchup against the San Antonio Spurs with confidence oozing from every inch of the roster. That will undoubtedly be the toughest early test for the Lakers. From what they have shown thus far, there should not be a person in that locker room doubting the game's winnability, though.
The Lakers have beaten the bad teams consistently. They have collected impressive wins against stiffer competition as well. They are showing clear signs of being a contender in both of those key aspects. Steamrolling their way to Nov. 27 would only build on that feeling.
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