The Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat are surging in the NBA standings with the playoffs fast approaching. The Lakers, led by superstar LeBron James and All-Star Anthony Davis, have won five straight games to climb into fifth place in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Heat, led by Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, have won seven of their last eight games to jump into fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Lakers have been getting key contributions from their supporting cast, including Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, and Andre Drummond. Their recent success has come without Davis, who has been out with a calf injury, but he is expected to return soon. The Lakers are starting to look like the team that won the championship last season, with their defense leading the way.
The Heat, who made it to the NBA Finals last season, are starting to look like a dangerous team again. Butler has been playing at an All-NBA level, while Adebayo has been dominant on both ends of the floor. The Heat have also been getting key contributions from players like Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro. Their recent success has come despite the absence of Victor Oladipo, who is out for the season with a knee injury.
Both teams will look to continue their winning ways as they make a push for playoff positioning. The Lakers will have a tough stretch of games coming up, including matchups against the Clippers and Blazers, while the Heat will face tough tests against the Celtics and 76ers. It should be an exciting end to the regular season, with these two teams looking like they could make some noise in the playoffs.