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On Friday night, the Celtics narrowly defeated the Sacramento Kings in Boston. Opportunity continued in New Orleans when the stray Spurs beat the Pelicans in an upset.

With the Lakers resting at home on Friday night, they do have an advantage when they play at Crypto Arena on Saturday. But after six straight road games and a long flight from Washington, there are real doubts about whether the Lakers can capitalize on that advantage.

The first game back at home had a shorter break, as the team faced a dangerous Cleveland Cavaliers team at 12:30 p.m. for the first time this season, who had come back after a heavy defeat in Phoenix on Wednesday.

Coach Darvin Hamm said before the game: "We have to take care of our own business first, nothing else matters. "

It takes serious effort, but over the past two months, it's become more and more evident that the Lakers are looking like a serious team.

The Lakers outscored 116-97 thanks to D'Angelo Russell's 28 points and double-doubles from LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Lakers took a 16-point lead in the first half, but the lead was disappearing in the third quarter, and their defense came back into play and regained control, largely thanks to a 17-0 offensive run led by Davis.

Ham said to his players: "We continue to play a defensive approach ... If we can keep defending and protecting the ball. The players also strengthened their defense and played a good game. "

The win puts the Lakers in eighth place in the West with four games left in the regular season.

The teams that will compete with them the most – the Suns, Kings and Pelicans – will all play each other in the final week of the season. A week later, on Sunday, the Lakers will wrap up their season in New Orleans, which could be a game that will be significant for the rankings.

"We're confident, confident about our team and we're on the pitch at all times," Davis said. I think the biggest difference is that we're having fun and we're responsible for each other. If someone messes up, we'll yell at him. But no one targeted him. Because we all know we're here to win. ”

James had 24 points and 12 assists, and his playmaking skills set the tone early on. Davis, on the other hand, dominated both ends of the floor, with his 22 points and 13 rebounds almost as impactful as his six blocks and three steals.

Taurien Prince played his best game, scoring 18 points and missing just two of his nine shots.

"The biggest thing for him is to be aggressive and aggressive," Hamm said. He's a smart player. He won't force it. He will throw the right shot. But when he's open, I want him to be very aggressive. "

Gabe Vincent and Austin Reaves have each made significant contributions on the defensive end, and this is Vincent's third appearance since returning from knee surgery last week, showcasing his quality on one end of the court.

"He's not worried about how many shots or balls he's going to get," Hamm said. He wants to make his mark on the defensive end. I think he did that tonight. "

The Lakers still don't have an update on Jarred Vanderbilt's recovery from a sprained foot, but the impact of Vincent's arrival on the court showing up so quickly is a good template.

Reeves said: "You know exactly what Vincent is going to bring to you, every game, he competes at the highest level on the pitch. That's where we need him. Once he finds the feeling of the game, he hasn't played for a long time, and once he finds the feeling of the game, the shots start hitting and so on. "

The Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, and they still have a chance to go one step further in the playoffs.

Hamm said, "Just take care of ourselves." This is the biggest thing, everything else will work itself out and will fall exactly where we should be. But the key is that we play at a high level on both ends of the floor. We saw that on the defensive end tonight. ”