Here is what you need to know before the Lakers begin their post-All-Star slate against the Houston Rockets.
1) It’s time for the final push
The Lakers know the stakes: 25 games left to make up a three-game deficit in the standings in order to reach the postseason.
LeBron James, in particular, declared his preparedness for the moment, saying on Wednesday that his playoff-level intensity is “activated.”
“I enjoy the challenge of anything,” James said. “I enjoy being uncomfortable. I enjoy being counted out.
“I’m an African-American kid from Akron, Ohio, [and] a single-parent household.