It was a Friday like no other. Before the Los Angeles Lakers fandom broke out of their busy week, already stressed over work, the team made sure the weekend would at least be worth their while. As JJ Redick’s squad arrived at the Crypto.com Arena, the tension in the air was palpable. Would they be able to clinch a win in the last home game of the regular season? Well they did, and the team couldn’t have celebrated in a better way. But before we get to that…

Not only did the Lakers pull off a 140-109 win vs the Houston Rockets, they did so in fashion. Luka Doncic scored a game-high 39 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in 31 minutes of play, against an opponent that had rested most of its starters. Austin Reaves finished with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in the blowout win, wrapping up the Pacific title, and helping the team win the No. 3 seed. But, while their performance on the court turned ample heads, it was the Lakers players’ off-court actions that perked up even more ears.

Reporters near Crypto.com Arena’s media rooms caught an unfamiliar soundtrack—one that seemed like a breath of fresh air for a team that has made enough self-deprecating comments over the past weeks. So, it wasn’t long before The Los Angeles Times‘ journalist Dan Woike took to X to tell the world about it…

On April 11, he informed, “One of the few times this season we can hear the Lakers locker room celebrating next door through the walls here in the press conference room. 50 wins, a home Game 1 in LA for the first-time since 2012 and a chance to exhale Sunday in their season finale in Portland.” Translation?

The Lakers just snapped an 11-year home-opener drought, clinching the No. 3 seed and a Pacific Division title for the second time in the last 13 seasons. Notably, the Lakers also won 50 games in the regular season for just the second time in 14 years. For a franchise with 25 division crowns, perhaps these achievements tasted even sweeter given how the team appeared to be struggling amid pre-trade rumors, and five losses (with a three-game losing streak) in January. “I feel like we could win a championship, to be honest with you,” was Reaves’ immediate reaction after the victory, which Luka Doncic also agreed with: “That’s our only goal. I think we have the team to do it.” Coach Redick even gave a sneak peek of what the fun that down inside the locker room.

The coach appeared in a kelly green Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt for a post-game news conference, after being doused with ice buckets to celebrate the team’s 50th win, causing an estimated $17,000 in damages to the locker room carpet. Rui Huchimara later informed, “The whole locker room is literally water. Straight water.”

Reddick then said, “Just incredibly proud of our team. It’s an accomplishment to win 50 games in the regular season in any year. I think particularly in this year, in this Western Conference, it is. And it’s a credit to our players. Each one at different points in time has contributed to winning. They’ve all participated in a winning culture.”

L.A. has won six of eight, shooting 61% Friday while Houston rested six starters. “The argument is rest versus rust,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka shrugged. “Getting them what they need with the playoff that’s coming.” But the Lakers? They’re feasting. Austin Reaves (23 points) and Dorian Finney-Smith (6 threes) became co-pilots alongside Dončić’s MVP-caliber flight.

Midway through the third quarter, LeBron grimaced, clutching his left leg. Panic flashed faster than a Jordan shrug. But by the fourth, he was moonwalking on the sideline after a Reaves bucket. “[He’s] fine,” coach JJ Redick confirmed postgame. James’ 14 points in 22 minutes? Just a cameo. The real show starts next week.

Lakers’ playoff path: rest now, reign later?

Friday marked L.A.’s first 50-win season since Kobe’s 2012 swan song. For a team that’s weathered more drama than The Sopranos, this milestone feels like turning down a quiet suburban street after years of gridlock. “What I told the group was, you’ve earned the right to choose the path you want to take,” Udoka told his squad. The Lakers chose theirs: attack mode. Meanwhile, rookie Cam Whitmore’s career-high 34 points were the silver lining for Houston.

But against L.A.’s firepower—Doncic, Reaves, and Finney-Smith combined for 80 points—it was like bringing a squirt gun to a fireworks show. With Portland up next Sunday, L.A. can coast into the playoffs. But will idle days dull their edge? Redick’s challenge—“we have not consistently had the same defensive mindset approach to some teams versus the great teams”—remains. The Lakers held Houston to 45% shooting, a flicker of their early-2000s grit.

As the Crypto.com Arena lights dimmed, one question lingered: Can this Lakers squad—a mix of savvy vets and rising stars—channel the Showtime magic of ’87 or the Kobe-Shaq dominance of ’00? Or will playoff pressure crack their newfound rhythm?

As they say, “Success is never owned; it’s only rented—and the rent is due every day.” As the Lakers gear up for their first home Game 1 in 12 years, can they keep paying the price? And who’s your pick to challenge L.A. in the first round?