The Lakers are streaking right now.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick wanted his team to treat Saturday night's matchup against the Denver Nuggets like a playoff game, and that is exactly what they did.
The Lakers beat the Nuggets 127-125 in overtime at Crypto.com Arena in a game that had everything you could ask for.
Late-game heroics, a LeBron James diving play that his own coach had never seen before, and a game-winning shot from Luka Doncic made this one an instant classic.
Redick Sets the Tone
"There were two things that stood out. So many guys made winning plays, and we went into this game saying that we're going to treat this like a playoff game," Redick said. "This time of year with the standings the way they are, a chance to get the tiebreaker over Denver and treat this like a playoff game. Our guys approached it like a playoff game. They played it like a playoff game."
Redick was not just talking to talk, because his team backed it up from the opening tip all the way through overtime.
The Lakers went up big early, but the Nuggets stormed back and took a late fourth-quarter lead, which is something Denver has done to Los Angeles time and time again in recent years.
Instead of folding, the Lakers kept fighting and found a way to extend the game.
Reaves and Doncic Deliver When It Matters
The play of the night came from Austin Reaves, who intentionally missed a free throw with 1.9 seconds left in regulation, grabbed his own rebound and hit a floater to tie the game at 118 and force overtime.
Redick joked after the game that Reaves did not exactly follow the plan, but the result was the same.
Reaves finished with 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists while averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this season.
Then in overtime, Doncic sealed it with a 17-foot step-back jumper with half a second left on the clock to put the Lakers up for good.
Doncic finished with a 30-point triple-double with 13 assists and 11 rebounds, marking his fifth straight game scoring at least 30.
He is averaging 32.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game, which leads the NBA in scoring.
Why This Win Means So Much
LeBron James did not fill up the stat sheet, but he made the play of the game when he dove full-extension for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter.
Redick said in 23 years of watching LeBron play, including three years of high school, he had never seen him make a play like that.
James told his coach he had never done it before, either, which says everything about how much this game meant to the team.
The win moved the Lakers to 42-25 on the season and into the third seed in the Western Conference, while the Nuggets dropped to 41-27.
More importantly, the Lakers now own the tiebreaker over Denver after winning the season series 2-1.
With the Western Conference standings as tight as they are, beating a team like the Nuggets in this kind of setting proves that the Lakers can handle the pressure when the lights are brightest.
The depth of this roster has shown up all season, and Saturday was another example of everyone doing their part.
If Saturday was any preview of what a playoff series between these two teams could look like, the rest of the league should be paying attention.