HOUSTON — It was just 1 ½ weeks ago where there were questions about how the Lakers fared against the league's best teams – especially in the Western Conference .
It took them just 10 days to quell those concerns, with Wednesday's 124-116 win over the Rockets at Toyota Center, their second straight over the Rockets after Monday's win in the same arena , giving the Lakers their fifth straight victory over a team with a winning percentage of at least 60%.
Luka Donicic led the Lakers with a near 40-point triple double, finishing with 40 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
LeBron James gave a vintage aerial performance with six dunks. NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James turned back the clock with six dunks as part of a 30-point performance.
Deandre Ayton had 16 points and three blocked shots , while Austin Reaves finished with 14 points and eight assists.
The Lakers have picked up wins over the three teams directly below them in the Western Conference standings over the last eight days, beating the Timberwolves , Nuggets and Rockets (twice).
"There's a lot of things that are really good right now," coach JJ Redick said.
The Lakers won their seventh-straight game , which ties a season-high from November.
They improved to 44-25 on the season, maintaining being the third seed in the Western Conference standings.
With Wednesday's win, the Lakers clinched the regular-season series against the Rockets, 2-1.
They also won the season series over the Timberwolves and Nuggets, which could come in handy for potential tie-breaking scenarios at the end of the season.
NBAE via Getty Images
When Doncic made a turnaround 3-pointer with 3:12 remaining in the game to give the Lakers a 113-109 lead.
Doncic's sixth 3 of the night came after he assisted Rui Hachimura on a corner 3 that gave the Lakers a 110-109 advantage after they exchanged leads with the Rockets.
The Lakers led for the remainder of the game.
Luka Doncic's late-season hot streak continues as he makes his bid for MVP NBAE via Getty Images
This could've easily been James, who had a near-perfect shooting performance, making 13 of his 14 field goal attempts.
But Doncic's late-game heroics – which included the stepback 3 to put the Lakers up 120-111 with 58 seconds left – gives him the nod.
Seven was the number of 3s Doncic made on Wednesday, putting him at 223 for the season.
He's three away from tying D'Angelo Russell's franchise record for most made 3s in a season (226), which he set in 2023-24.
James' six dunks on Wednesday put him at 77 for the season in 48 games played, which is more than 71 dunks he had in 70 games played in 2024-25.
His dunk frequency is the highest it's been since the 2016-17 season.
The Lakers will close out their back-to-back set with a matchup against the Heat on Thursday night at Kaseya Center.
