The Los Angeles Lakers executed a defensive exhibition in their victory over the Houston Rockets. Offensively, Luka Doncic notched up his sixth consecutive 30-point performance. Besides him, Austin Reaves has a sluggish night. But that didn’t stop his head coach from heaping major praise on him.

JJ Redick didn’t mind risking a fine for profanity during his press conference. He couldn’t go without acknowledging Reaves’ night of effort and grit.

“I told him, I said I see you. You’re playing hard as f*ck. That matters. You’re lifting our team up because of how hard you’re playing. Whether that’s trying to take a charge, you know coming back and back-tapping things. His physicality defensively. Being in rotations. Like all the stuff and the offense came for him,” Redick said.

Reaves impacted winning even on a night he shot 5-18 from the field. He compiled four steals and a block. But even outside of those highlighted possessions, AR’s effort was undeniable. He attacked Kevin Durant and made him uncomfortable, and switched seamlessly when guarding in the half-court.

It saw the Lakers grind their way to a win. Reaves and the group executed their defensive assignments well. The Rockets committed seven turnovers in the fourth quarter alone, scoring just 12 points. On the other hand, the Lakers missed good looks, but didn’t appear as disrupted as Houston did.

This was a win that showcased the latest improvements within the Lakers. Austin Reaves is just one of the players to have stepped up and shown his desire to win. Subsequently, LeBron James spent time face guarding Kevin Durant, playing off the sacrifice JJ Redick recently spoke about.

The result was a win against one of the most physical and athletic teams in the West.

Everyone is buying in for the Lakers

JJ Redick spent much of the early season feeling the rush of problems. The Lakers had too many stars who weren’t used to playing the second fiddle. However, since being healthy after the All-Star break, there appears to be some clarity. Everyone has well-defined roles, and the players have openly accepted them.

We already spoke about LeBron James. He’s playing more off the ball and expending his energy as a 6’8” defender with versatility. Reaves and Luka Doncic are taking care of the offense by being the decision makers. The ‘Big 3’ adapting has encouraged others to follow suit.

Deandre Ayton had just 1 point before checking in to the fourth quarter. Normally, there would be concerns about his effort. But even he’s shown an inclination to be the rough center who will scrap. That helped against a small-ball lineup the Rockets threw into the game. Ayton added six points in the fourth and played exceptional defense.

Marcus Smart had another electric game. He knocked down shots and set the tone with his relentless motor. The Lakers have actually managed to win games against genuine playoff competition because of their defense. The Rockets scored just 92. They also allowed just 97 points to the Knicks and 106 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This was always the one puzzle they had to solve. JJ Redick has a plethora of offensive options. But he’s now seeing some defensive pillars emerge within the team, which has had a positive impact on the team’s play.

With the intensity with which the Lakers are playing, they look far more than a first-round exit team, which has been the situation for the past two years. This team looks determined. Players are sacrificing, but everyone is tussling. That’s the difference.

The Lakers aren’t playing pretty basketball anymore. They are playing to win. And the results in front of them are fascinating.