Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers - Luka Dončić Scores 45 Points in his Return to Dallas, Lakers Win, Clinch Top 6 Seed

Episode Date: April 10, 2025

That was impressive. In a highly emotional return to Dallas on Wednesday, Luka Dončić came out hot, scoring 14 first quarter points, 31 by halftime and finishing with 45, to go along with eight reb...ounds, six assists and four steals. Particularly impressive (especially to his teammates and coach) was how Luka was able to put on that type of performance after absorbing huge ovation from the crowd and an incredibly well done tribute video during pregame introductions. For the Lakers, 112-97 win, which featured a great fourth quarter push to regain control of the game and put it out of reach, has huge implications. They're now one win away from clinching the 3rd seed in the West, guaranteeing they'll host at least one playoff round, and at the least, they will finish in the top 6, meaning while teams are competing in the Play-In tournament, the Lakers will be resting. Just a remarkable night for the Luka, for the Lakers and their potential for a deep playoff run.  HOSTS: Andy and Brian KamenetzkySEGMENT 1: Luka lights up the Mavs. SEGMENT 2: Incredible focus from LA's new star. SEGMENT 3: What the win means for the Lakers.  Your favorite podcast now has a newsletter! In One-stop for ultimate team and league coverage delivered right to your in box. Sign up for free now, at lockedondaily.com.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetterhelpThis episode is sponsored by Betterhelp. Your well-being is worth it. Visit BetterHelp.com/lockedonnba today to get 10% off your first month.  RobinhoodWith Robinhood Gold, you can now enjoy the VIP treatment. The new Gold Standard is here with Robinhood Gold. To receive 3% boost on annual IRA contributions,  sign up at robinhood.com/gold. Door DashThey Swoosh, You Save: when any player scores 50 or more points in a game during the 24/25 NBA regular season, DashPass members save 50% on an order, up to $10 off with promo code NBA50. 50% Off 1 Order (Up to $10 Off)Offer valid from 9:00 AM PT through 11:59 PM PT after a 50 point performance in any game during the NBA season on orders placed at participating merchant locations. Valid only in the United States. Maximum value of discount is $10.00. Discount applies to subtotal only; does not apply to fees, taxes, and gratuity. Not valid for pickup. Limit one per person. Not valid for the purchase of alcohol. Fees, taxes, and gratuity still apply. Must have an active DashPass account. Use promo code NBA50 to redeem. See further terms and conditions at https://drd.sh/8ONpZP/.PrizepicksNow’s the perfect time to join. Download the app today and use code LOCKEDONNBA to get $50 instantly when you play your first $5 lineup! That’s right—no need to win to get the bonus, it’s guaranteed. PrizePicks—Run Your Game!Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNBAMonarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year.GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, everyone, welcome to Locked on Lakers for Thursday. Brian Komeneski, Andy Komeneski. What a night in Dallas. What a night for Luca Donchich. What a night for the Lakers. So much to talk about. We'll break it down next. You are Locked on Lakers.
Starting point is 00:00:20 Your daily Los Angeles Lakers podcast. Part of the Locked on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Thanks to everybody for making Locked on Lakers. First, listen to every day. Monday through Friday, no matter how you get your podcast, this one's always free.
Starting point is 00:00:35 never behind paywall, certainly not on day like today. Locked on Lakers on YouTube is where you can go hang out with over 34,000 subscribers, Andy, who are at the very least thoroughly impressed with what the Lakers and particularly Luca Dantritch did in his return to Dallas, an emotional night to say the least. As you said, kind of a strange night, but Luca came out. Red Hot finishes with 45, 8, and 6 to go along with four steals. Not bad for a guy. Can't play any defense.
Starting point is 00:01:08 So this was a big game for the Lakers on a ton of levels, a huge game for Luka on a ton of levels. Everything about this went, I think, about as well as you'd want as a Laker fan. It went as well as everything you would want as a Laker fan. I think it went every way you would want if you're Luca, but also too in a lot of ways we'll talk about this as Luka's teammates. Like I think there is potential from this game. Yep.
Starting point is 00:01:37 And JJ talked about this a little bit afterwards. And he didn't want to oversell it. He said you never know. But I think there is potential from this game to really bond Luca as the new guy to LeBron, Austin, Rui, Vando, like the guys who've been there longer and who've been a part of this, you know, last couple seasons, hauling ass to try to just get. yourself into the play in, the turmoil with Darvin Ham, and then the chaotic search bringing in JJ Reddick, like the Anthony Davis trade that nobody saw coming bringing in Luca. Like there's been a lot for these guys that obviously directly involves Luca, but there's some of this that Luca still has not experienced, some of which is great, like Luca not having the institutional memory of
Starting point is 00:02:27 the ghosts of the Denver Nuggets. That is a good thing. But there are pieces of the this that Luca has not experienced and that they haven't experienced with Luca. And I think we saw evidence tonight of just these guys really having Lucas back and Luca really appreciating it. Yeah, well, we'll get to that because there's an element of what the Lakers are trying to do this season as a team that is unusual. You know, everything about it. I mean, you know, it is that notion of being a team that is put together essentially
Starting point is 00:03:00 late in the season. that is not something that usually works, but the flip side of that is maybe talk about it in the next segment is usually the way you're being reworked isn't by adding a top five player in the NBA. So I just, Luca showed the full range of the skills. He showed the passing, the step back. What did you have in the first quarter?
Starting point is 00:03:22 He had 31 in the first half. Let me pull up his first quarter. I thought it was 14 in the first quarter. But either way, you know, it goes to the half. He went to the half, like you said, at 31. And it just, the night started with that introduction and this video. And I saw what you tweeted out. And I texted you actually something very similar.
Starting point is 00:03:50 We both had the same reaction to this incredible video. It was really well done. The ovation from the crowd was, you know, well deserved, but just so unusual in this situation. And we're watching, we're both kind of watching this video going, man, that's a great video. Why'd you trade him? The way I phrased it on Twitter was Lucas face while watching this very well done Mavericks. Tribute video looks like an equal combination of sincere emotion and then why the F did you trade me?
Starting point is 00:04:20 And Luca was crying during this. I mean, you mentioned like his full range of skills as a player being, on display in this game, but it was also in a lot of ways the full range of Luca Donchich, the person. And Luca, Luca is somebody that at least publicly in the setup that you often have with NBA media and media in general, like he's not unfriendly in terms of everything I've ever heard about it, our limited experience, but he's not bubbly with this stuff. He does not enjoy it.
Starting point is 00:04:57 He doesn't make a big show of pretending that he has. enjoys it and there's a lot that he keeps to himself. This was a night where he could not even attempt to keep those pieces of himself private. He told Lisa Sauters and talked about after the game and talked about it with postgame media, his immediate reaction after that tribute video was, I don't think I can play in this game. Like, he was just overwhelmed. And JJ Redick, I think, was not overstating it when he said what Luca ultimately did. the night was superhuman. I mean, that it was pretty impressive. I mean, like to go from that to torching, like just instantly locking it. But I mean, I'd help that he had the road crowd
Starting point is 00:05:43 in his pocket. And the home crowd. I mean, to be honest with you, that's what I mean, the road home crowd. Right. You know, yeah, I mean, there were a lot of Lakers fans in the building. But, you know, it's it was a strange thing where they were like they were genuinely excited when he did stuff. Well, in part because the train. remained so incredibly unpopular in Dallas. You know, there's a, there's a great clip that's going around, uh, social where like some woman in a Lakers jersey after Luca hits a step back three turns to somebody. I don't know who it is, but they're wearing a Maverick's shirt or whatever and just she can
Starting point is 00:06:20 you can read a lip. She says, in your face. It's like the, the whole thing. And like ultimately what it gets to and again, stuff for the for the next. segment maybe is just what they've added and the the the kind of the the killer instinct so to speak you know in sports terminology to be able to channel what you just saw and bringing up all the emotions of like this trade and the turmoil and like I didn't see it coming and it wasn't something I asked for and all this stuff and channel that into let me light you up for 14
Starting point is 00:06:59 points in the first quarter. Like I it's pretty cool. It was it was really entertaining. It was very cool. But it also like again just it cannot be overstated just how effing weird the whole thing was. Particularly to start things out. Like at the end it was weird in the best possible ways because I think Luca ultimately got what he deserved from the evening. But there was a moment early. in the first quarter where Jackson Hayes got sent to the line. And as he's shooting free throws, one of many, many, many, fire Nico chance started as Jackson was at the line. And the camera cuts to Luca. And he doesn't look in any way at this point like he's relishing this. He looked sad and uncomfortable.
Starting point is 00:07:58 And I think there was for a lot of this game, for as much as Luca was just cooking for a lot of the, for really all of the first half, I think the game was weird for his teammates. I think there was a disjointed element to, you know, similar to what we saw, it's contextually different, but similar idea,
Starting point is 00:08:20 Kobe's final game. And that game obviously had no stakes other than celebrating Kobe like the you wanted them to win but the lakers were not going to make the playoffs that was the last game period but guys did not know what to do with the ball you know every time anybody but Kobe touched the ball you got booed and it wasn't that extreme for you know the lakers tonight or that type of crowd but i think there was an element of everybody wanting to be a part of enabling luka to just crush these guys and it took everybody i think out of balance for a lot of the first half.
Starting point is 00:08:57 And then they really settled in in the fourth quarter in on. It was the last, seven minutes of the fourth quarter. They took a, you know, six or seven point lead, eight point lead. I think it was actually got it up into double digits at one point. And it looked like they were taking control of the game. Dallas comes back, closes a quarter strong,
Starting point is 00:09:15 and actually starts the fourth by taking the lead. They actually go up in the Lakers. And Lakers in the last seven minutes put on a clinic. And from a the sort of game stuff of this, how did the Lakers play? What did they do? Like it all seems a little bit secondary,
Starting point is 00:09:36 to be perfectly honest, maybe we'll get into more of the game details for Friday's show. But the thing that was impressive to me about the game, this portion of the game, and Luca played a big part of this, was the Lakers kicked it into a gear. Yes. Over those last seven minutes.
Starting point is 00:09:52 Because Dallas, I mean, I've said this, like with Kyrie, I'm not the only person. Dallas with Kyrie is a very good team and an unusual team where you have that one guard who can do all kinds of stuff and so much length everywhere else on the floor and talented players. Without Kyrie, they're obviously not going anywhere this year, but they're not terrible either. And the Lakers hit a gear in that last seven minutes that Dallas simply could not match.
Starting point is 00:10:19 And that was really impressive. That's something good teams do. when we talked about it, you know, the show Wednesday, in the playoffs, it's like, do you get that five-minute sequence, that seven-minute sequence where you do something that the other team can't? Let's talk a little bit more about the chemistry stuff because that is a lot of where JJ spent his time in the post game. And so we'll get to that next. Lockdown-Lakers is brought to you by TurboTax. This is a message from sponsor, Intuit TurboTax. Taxes are waiting, wondering, worrying if you were going to get any money back.
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Starting point is 00:12:15 That's all you got to figure out. So download the app today. Use the code locked on NBA to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. that's locked in NBA for $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup prize picks run your game. I would say Thursday is just a prime hour. After a game like this, perfect opportunity to get a newsletter. Go to LockdownDaily.com, click on Lockdown, Lakers, and you can have this conversation and other things brought to you great analysis from around the network in the form of mail.
Starting point is 00:12:54 Everybody loves that. So you go to LockdownDaily.com. click on Locked on Lakers and you are good to go. And you're really helping us out because we're kind of trying to crush the rest of the network hosts with this. It's a competition and we want to win. There, I mentioned in the first segment, you talked about it to like the galvanizing nature of this. The Lakers are trying to do something that is objectively not done often where you reform
Starting point is 00:13:20 your team and you then try to go make a deep playoff. And ironically, the Lakers are one of the few teams that have managed to do it over the last few years. A couple seasons ago, they go in the Western Conference Finals after that big Westbrook trade, you know, the removal of Russ from the squad. The flip side of this, Andy, though, is you don't usually add a player like Luca at one of these deadline deals. It's you make a couple things. You're a team that's really struggling or whatever it might be. So you're not really set up for success. the Lakers weren't playing that badly when they made the
Starting point is 00:13:56 when they made the Luke trade. It's not like they were in this massive slump. And they acquired a, you know, ungodly good player. So this togetherness that JJ is trying to do, like how quick can you hit your ceiling? A game like this helps. And they may be further along in that process than the average come-together team.
Starting point is 00:14:23 at, you know, mid-season, whatever it is. You know, it's funny. We had a lot of debate on this show leading up to the back-to-back first in OKC, then in Dallas. I know I've been on 7-10 ESPN a lot this week on Mason and Ireland, and there have been a lot of debate among the different hosts and fans we heard from about whether the Lakers should have even suited up everybody for the OKC game. You know, for a while it looked like they were going to.
Starting point is 00:14:53 said everyone. Then they ended up playing everybody other than Rui who is dealing with a legit injury management situation, something very specific with that knee. And then they obviously suited up everyone in Dallas, but there have been a lot of people who thought, you know what, back to back, it's not worth potentially tiring everyone out, especially when you need to try to get two wins over the final four games. Just put everything in the Dallas basket, get that win. And I think there is something, A, that feels appropriate if you believe in the basketball gods, the idea that the Lakers did this the right way. They competed and they not only got one of the two wins that at minimum they were shooting for anyway and would have been the end result of that
Starting point is 00:15:40 strategy. But I think they got to send a message to the rest of the league and the way they played against O KC. Like, no, seriously, we are. are not going to be an easy out. I think they bonded in a lot of ways over Luca's completely egregious ejection and how much that was complete BS. And then I think that added more fuel to making sure Luca had the conquering heroes return in Dallas that everyone wanted. So this to me feels exactly, I mean, other than you would have liked them to go
Starting point is 00:16:17 2 and O, but in terms of sort of spiritual results and things that you can take away from this, I feel like this went down about as well as you could have asked for it. And it makes, again, it makes me happy that they did it the way they did. Yeah. And it's, I would, God, I would have loved, I don't want to get back into it. I would love to see how that game on Tuesday ended. But you, like, when that moment, When Luca's getting, you know, they call the timeout or it was a Drew Fowl, whatever it was, to get Luke off the floor.
Starting point is 00:16:52 And, you know, he exits. You get the ovation from the crowd. They're chanting Luca, Luca, Luca. And the team around him is chanting Luca, Luca, Luca. I, it is, you know, chemistry is one of those things that is, is, is, it's important. But it's like, it can be, it can be, I want to say overrated, but it can be misinterpreted. Chemistry is not you and I and everybody else. We're all eating dinner together every day. We're all doing like, that's not necessarily. There are a lot of teams that are terrible that do those things. It's more than that. It is, you know, it's an understanding of the goals that everybody wants.
Starting point is 00:17:30 It's an appreciation of everybody's role on the team. It's an appreciation of everybody's status and where they fit on a team and all of this stuff and a sense of belonging as a group. that moment, like you said that for a segment, Andy, that reflects belonging. Like both who the team kind of belongs to, but also that like you belong to our franchise now. You know, we are a group of people who have your back. The comparison I'm about to make, I want to make clear. I'm not making it as an apples to apples comparison because obviously the two contexts I'm
Starting point is 00:18:10 I bring out, one is much more serious, much more tragic, everlasting than the other. But just in terms of the way chemistry can be built, but sometimes the catalyst for chemistry is organic in ways that you can't control. And it sort of thrusts different types of chemistry upon you. And in 2020, when Kobe, tragic, a passing, you know, and this beyond the tragedy of it, the complete suddenness, the unexpected, like how much nobody could prepare for something like that. That tragedy brought that team closer. You and I covered that team.
Starting point is 00:18:55 We were around it on a daily basis. And, you know, they very much wanted to win and honor Kobe's memory. And, you know, they were outward about this. LeBron very seriously took the idea of. of I'm going to shoulder this burden for the fans and for the organization. And this is something that is going to bring us together. You know, again, awful circumstances. And I'm not comparing this apples to apples to Luca getting sucker punched in a trade
Starting point is 00:19:27 because one is obviously worse than the other. But there's a lot of really deep emotion that Luca felt with this. And, you know, LeBron said afterwards that, Our only motto, our only motive, our only thought process was to make sure we were there for him in any way, shape, or form. And he said it was, quote, super dope, super happy to be a part of that. Like seeing the emotion on Luca's face, something I'll probably never forget being a part of that. Like this trade, not just getting Luca, but how they got Luca and the backstory of getting Luca. and knowing that I think Luca's happy to be here,
Starting point is 00:20:12 but this wasn't what Luca was looking for. And the idea of we've got this superstar, but we also need to make him comfortable. And we have to show him that he really is one of us. Like there are ways that that can be a catalyzing force for chemistry among these guys as well. And again, sometimes you can't plan for it. Sometimes you can't manufacture it. It just happens.
Starting point is 00:20:37 It is one of the great questions. And you could tell JJ Redick is like, I don't, I don't know, the other thing that I liked about what JJ said. And like, he's not sure of where they're going. He obviously thinks they're very good. Most people think they're very good. They have LeBron James, who was tremendous in the second half of this game. And his, I think found kind of a rhythm of this, like, you know, taking advantage of the fact that he does not need to be the guy that runs everything early, that he does not have to get off to. hot start like other than and feeling out of game and then finding you know these these he's had so
Starting point is 00:21:13 many good third quarters into fourth quarters over the last couple weeks there's a like it's not a fluke anymore he's approaching the game series in a different way and taking advantage of lucas presence well i don't know where they're going to end up they're obviously very good a lot of teams in the conference are very good the thing that i loved about what jj said was like and it was sort of like a step back and I'm paraphrasing. I'm going to misquote him, but he's like, I don't know where we're going. I don't know how far we're going to get. I know this was cool.
Starting point is 00:21:44 And we get so wrapped up in sports and like is, is this, how does this, you know, they're going to win a championship this, I, whatever. It is okay to recognize certain moments in sports is just awesome. And they are awesome, independent of whether or not you eventually go on to win a title. This was one of them. This was a game that if you love the NBA, and you're a big fan of the Lakers, if you're a fan of Luca Donchich,
Starting point is 00:22:07 if you really hate Nico Harrison, any of those things. This was a great night and a great just example of sports, like humans, amazing people doing amazing stuff. And we can appreciate that, even if the Lakers don't win a title.
Starting point is 00:22:24 Anyway, soapbox over. Lots of practical implications of this win. Huge, huge win for the Lakers. Practically speaking, We'll get to that next. Locked on Lakers is brought to you by DoorDash. NBA fans get ready. They swoosh you save thanks to dash pass every time a player drops 50 or more points in a game.
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Starting point is 00:23:37 Participating merchants, you must have an active dash pass account. Terms apply. Visit DoorDash to learn more. So this, you know, we've talked about it, talked about, talked about, you know, the Lakers need to win two of four to finish of the three seat, all that stuff. And it is true. Now they only have to win one of two. We got Houston on Friday.
Starting point is 00:24:02 Houston is not pretty well locked in. They are completely locked in to a two for the, for what it's worth. They are not playing. their regular lineup tonight. They got different guys. And I can't say I'm 100% sure who is hurt and who isn't, but I know everybody's not hurt. And so they got some guys sitting.
Starting point is 00:24:23 They started Green Landdale, Aeson, Whitmore, and Shepard in their game against the Clippers, who, by the way, have moved up to the four, which is kind of interesting and good for them. They'll see what happens in this game. So Friday night, I don't know what the Houston's going to do. how hard they try to win that game. And then Portland, we noted earlier in the week, has officially been eliminated.
Starting point is 00:24:48 So they don't have anything to play for either. I suspect they'll run out the same lineup. They always run out because they've played, they're trying to build. Can't really do anything from the lottery. So we'll see what happens with that three seed. What they did, though, is they did guarantee that the Lakers did guarantee that they will be in the top six. and while JJ Reddick rightly pointed out, we want more that is,
Starting point is 00:25:12 they're not settling for the six. This was a major goal for this team. And it's been a goal post-Luca for a while. And they got it. And the conference was not making it easy for them. And they still got it. Schedule didn't make it easy for him. And they still got it.
Starting point is 00:25:28 And I think that is worth noting and worth, if not celebrating, hat tipping or something. I don't know. What's one step lower? I mean, as somebody who has, has watched this team have to kill themselves in order just to get into the play-in and the toll that it's taken on this team.
Starting point is 00:25:47 Like, I can't promise that that's been the big thing that's preventing them from making, you know, run to the finals, winning a championship. Some of this has just been Denver. And, you know, last season, it was very specifically Jamal Murray hitting buzzer, beating game winners. But it's just the way. week off. Like LeBron made no bones about how much this means to him. He said, quote, anytime I get a week off from not playing ball, I'll take it. Like these guys know it's really
Starting point is 00:26:22 beneficial for them to get that rest. You know, I mean, Rui didn't play in OKC because he right now can't do, he really can't do back to backs as opposed to whether you think LeBron or Luca or DFS whoever. Should. Like, Rui's a can't. And the ability for Rui, who's said his knees at 70 to 80%, he's not really going to be able to get it right
Starting point is 00:26:48 until this off season when he's not playing. The ability to get multiple days off, you know, depending on where things stand with the three seat or whatever, maybe not having to play at all against Portland. And then he gets like seven to ten days off, something like that. And, you know, for what it's worth, Rui in this game, the first half, he looked kind of rusty like a guy who hadn't played.
Starting point is 00:27:12 Second half, he was terrific on both sides of the ball. He was very good. LeBron was ultimately the closer and really the guy that I think stepped up the most in that fourth quarter to put things away. But Ruey had a very strong second half. You need him healthy. You need all these guys healthy. Not having to deal with the play in nonsense is huge for this team.
Starting point is 00:27:36 I think, you know, and I'm just going to sort of make up numbers. Like I think the Lakers, regardless of who finish us in the sixth spot, again, the team that frightens me the most of the next group of teams is the Clippers. I just, I think if they're healthy, that threesome of Hardin with, with Powell and Zubots and like, you know, Sue is having such a good season, man. And, you know, they've got, you know, done on a wing.
Starting point is 00:28:07 Like they just, I like that, I like the way that team is. Did I say Kauai? I think I forgot Kauai. You did forget Kauai. Yeah. I meant,
Starting point is 00:28:14 I think I probably meant in face. I skipped straight to Zubots. It's really four guys. Look, man, you can argue, I mean, not to get sidetracking in the Clippers,
Starting point is 00:28:23 because I know it ain't what our audience wants, but you can make an argument that Zubots has been the most important player on the Clippers this year. He has been phenomenal. He's been incredible. And like Norm has been, you know, I know there was a lot of stuff about that all story,
Starting point is 00:28:34 but Zubat's been incredible. And, you know, and it tends to do well against the Lakers. And I, you know, that I think the Warriors are threatening. There is not a team that I wouldn't pick the Lakers as the favorite, especially since they're hosting, if they get that three. And I honestly think that giving the Lakers that week off for the first round, I'm not saying for the rest of the playoffs,
Starting point is 00:28:55 makes them at least 25% more likely to win that series. Just for, I realized who the six-seeds not going to be playing either. I don't care. because the Lakers become 25% more likely to win in my mind because of that. Well, other than maybe the clippers, it would be difficult to make, maybe, okay, you maybe put the clippers in there, maybe put the Warriors in there just because they're specific players and some of the collective age. The collective age.
Starting point is 00:29:25 I don't think you can make an argument, though, that there is any team in the West that will benefit more from the week off than the Lakers. If you want to say some of these other ones benefit the same, fine. There is no team that will benefit more than the Lakers. And it's just, it's massive that this is in the bag now. It really is. Yeah. So I saw the standings and this was before the Clippers game started and all that kind of stuff.
Starting point is 00:29:53 I glanced at it. Five teams tied. Four through eight is tied. Four, five, six, seven, eight. Tied. I'm like, that is insane to be in this, in that. And for the Lakers to not have to be, they're not out of that group.
Starting point is 00:30:11 They're not out of that mess, but they're more out of it than other teams are. And with a game against, again, against Portland, that you know that if you win, you get a week off. Like the Houston game, oh my God, if they could win that game on Friday, maybe Houston helps them out. But if they can win that game on Friday,
Starting point is 00:30:28 and then you really get, you can add more time to it, even better, but to know that you have the Portland game in your back pocket to get, I mean, it's fantastic. I am, you talked about like the karma of like sort of just doing it the right way. I do think like this is just something nice about how this worked out. Like there was a threat that what they did in Oklahoma City legitimately could have made it much harder to win this game against Alice. think that is 100% true. And it looked in the fourth quarter like, oh, maybe they're running into a wall here or something like that. And then again, that gear that they found on the second night of a back-to-back, given all the games that they've played over the last month and a half, that to me said something about this group.
Starting point is 00:31:19 Like, this is a really good team. I mean, look, I understand that there is like an actual rhyme and reason and method to the madness when it comes to mapping out a season and, you know, taking stock of everybody's bodies where they're at physically and particularly with somebody like LeBron, but, you know, Luca, Rui, Reeves, Gabe, DFS, Vando, like all of these guys have been dealing with real injury issues off and on for this entire season. So, like, this stuff is real, but at the same time, too, like, I don't think you can let that completely dictate all of your decisions because the truth is this group in the Luca era has only played together since February. And they have not gotten nearly the amount of games together, as would be ideal. And when Luca arrived, he was still working through an injury. DFS has missed games. LeBron
Starting point is 00:32:20 is missed games. Ruiz missed games. They actually need the reps. And as much as health is a big deal in the playoffs, health can swing us. series like not denying any of that it's obviously a big deal it's not necessarily a bigger deal than how well you play like how well you play is also a really big deal yeah and it's the game and it's that will replicate the playoffs right i mean like you know potentially quite literally you get more information about how you look against okayc the team that most people think at the lakers get to the Western Conference finals, that's going to be their opponent. Like, there is more to this than just trying to preserve energy.
Starting point is 00:33:06 You know what I mean? Like, there's tangible reasons to be on. I don't mean this towards you. It's got to be about health. I think if it's energy, I agree with you play. If it's health. Right. And I'm sure that, like we talked about it for the show, they clearly did their due
Starting point is 00:33:21 diligence. They weren't going to put anybody out in a risky situation. Energy, agree with you. Health otherwise, but. God, the Lakers, they could earn themselves plenty of rest to really beef up that energy with a win on Friday. Real quick, before we go, I learned a couple things during this game. Luca down the stretch had that insane baseline circus shot. According to Google Translate, if you're looking for another way to describe that in Slovenian,
Starting point is 00:33:52 that would be Sarkuski Ponsnetek. that would be circus shot. Circuski Ponsetek. Also, the Mavericks, and no shade, I thought this was a great touch. They put out all these shirts for the fans who attended that night.
Starting point is 00:34:07 And the shirts read, Hevala Zavisei, which in Slovenia means thank you for everything. Obviously, thank you, Luca. I just want to take this time to say, Havala Zah Vesei, Niko. And Havala
Starting point is 00:34:22 Zah Vesay, Dallas Maverer. Dumanz, all of you. I don't know if this is one of those times where people just appreciate, like, you know, you're a visitor in another land and they appreciate your attempts of using their language. I've heard from most of our Slovenian listeners that I'm doing this right. So bleep off, man.
Starting point is 00:34:46 You're doing the research, if nothing else. Yes, I am. Locked on. I'm going to take the words of the, well, I mean, I should never take the word of the mavericks that they did all the necessary research because they are the guys who traded Luca. But still, I'm pretty sure they got the shirt. We've seen enough T-shirt mishaps of late to know these things can happen.
Starting point is 00:35:06 Locked-O-Lakers on YouTube is where you can go to hang out with over. I'm just going to keep going. 34,000 subscribers. We will get you ready for Friday nights game. And talk a little bit of more about this one. We didn't really get into AD. We didn't get into Max Christie. But still plenty of talk about.
Starting point is 00:35:23 We're looking forward to the playoffs. We're getting clearer every day. We'll see everyone tomorrow.

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