Adversity has been a all too familiar feeling for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, particularly in the last few weeks. 

In fact, the adversity that the Lakers have experienced in just a matter of days, losing both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to injury, would be something that would have broken most teams. 

For a moment, it seemed it would break the Lakers too. They lost three straight games against the Thunder and Mavericks, losing both their top two scorers in the process, and relationships on the team seemed like they were fracturing, particularly with a sideline argument between Jarred Vanderbilt and head coach JJ Redick. 

But since then, the Lakers have bounced back. They've won back-to-back games, including a win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday that guaranteed home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. 

After that game, Vanderbilt reflected on where the team is at right now and everything that they've been through. While doing so, he emphasized the importance of response and illustrated how winning teams handle the trials and tribulations that they face. 

"Adversity is inevitable in this league. Every team goes through injuries, losing streak, winning streaks," Vanderbilt said (via The Sporting Tribune). "There's always highs and lows to the game, so the best teams are the ones that withstand the tough times and bounce back quicker than other teams."

Vanderbilt also responded to the argument that he had with Redick. He said that he and Redick had talked after the incident and agreed that now was not the team for the team to fall apart and that their relationships with each other were going to be the most important thing. 

The end of the season, even without the injuries they've suffered, is a test of any team's unity. For the lakers, that unity has been one of their greatest strengths this season. When they were riding high just before the loss of Doncic and Reaves, the chemistry seemed to be at an all time high.

The Lakers have had to lean on their team connectivity throughout this season, as this isn't the first time that they've had to play without at least one of Doncic, Reaves or LeBron James. 

Coming together is a test of character and emotional strength, two things that rest at the core of any good team, even more so than the skill of the team. 

The Lakers are proving that they can stick together even through one of their season's lowest points and it could be enough to save them.