LeBron James reveals the Lakers' mindset heading into the final stretch before the playoffs

The Los Angeles Lakers have improved their performance just before the playoffs. To achieve that, Luka Doncic’s immediate impact and Austin Reaves’ impressive progress played a crucial role. After their strong performances, LeBron James revealed the team’s main goals emphasizing that their focus goes beyond recent wins.

“We know it’s the final stretch into the postseason, so we’re just trying to rack up great habits. Obviously sometimes the game goes the way goes and sometimes you play a great game and still lose and sometimes you can feel like you didn’t play well and win. It’s about habits. We’re just trying to build our habits right now going into the final stretch of the regular season,” stated LeBron James on Spectrum SportsNet.

His words were not meant to downplay the urgency of winning. Instead, he wants to highlight the purpose that goes beyond victory. The NBA playoffs are always different. You can have a strong regular season and stay consistent, but still fall short in the postseason. For that reason, they are testing new things and adjusting their strategy. The goal is to build habits that will matter most when the season reaches its final stretch.

Besides, the team is still adjusting to Luka Doncic on offense. He has delivered strong performances since joining the Lakers, and he is clearly the leader of the attack. However, these will be his first playoffs as a Lakers player. Because of that, LeBron James said they are still getting used to Luka’s game. They are also experimenting with different lineups to find the best fit.

Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on February 20, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. The Los Angeles Lakers won 110-102.

Austin Reaves breaks down Lakers’ big win over Thunder

Unlike previous seasons, the Lakers now control their playoff destiny. They do not need to rely on other teams. Their postseason chances depend only on their own results. Throughout this stretch, Austin Reaves has been one of the driving forces behind the team’s success. His form has been outstanding in recent games. After the win, Reaves praised how the team got the job done.

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“Yeah, anytime you play like that, regardless of who you’re playing, you can go watch that stuff and see what you can build on. There wasn’t too many chaotic possessions for us on offense, and defensively we didn’t have too many breakdowns. I feel like we kept those to a minimal tonight. I think we kept them off the free throw line really well and we paid attention to the details tonight and just played a really good game,” explained Reaves.