The Los Angeles Lakers have had [a lot of early success](https://lakeshowlife.com/lakers-jj-redick-keeps-showing-coaching-genius-no-matter-circumstances) this season, and one of the ways they've done that is by locking down on defense in clutch time. The Lakers might have a mostly average defense for the majority of most games, but the numbers show that when things are close in the final minutes, they play by far their best basketball on the defensive side of things.
Fans have certainly taken notice of the fact that when the stakes are highest at the end of close games this season, the Lakers have been consistently coming up with wins in those scenarios. Recent defensive clutch metrics show that Los Angeles has allowed under 90 points per 100 possessions in “clutch” situations this season, putting them among the very best in the league during those high-pressure moments.
That points to a big theme of this team: that even when LA's overall net rating is modest, they have the ability to survive close games. We don't see a lot of teams being able to be this reliable in these clutch situations.
The Lakers' defense has looked championship-level late
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And the Lakers' resilience has paid off. In their win over the 76ers, they leaned on veteran poise with LeBron James delivering clutch baskets and Luka Doncic stepping up defensively late to escape Philadelphia. Before that, they edged out the Spurs despite a short rotation and fatigue after a back-to-back. In both games, the difference was simple: tighter defense when it mattered.
A big part of that has been interior presence and communication. DeAndre Ayton continues to anchor the paint and block shots, while [LeBron’s leadership and experience](https://lakeshowlife.com/lebron-james-fully-embracing-role-never-played-before) helps organize things. That kind of veteran know-how, even with a roster still figuring itself out, can make a difference between collapse and closing out a tight game.
Still, the Lakers can’t rely only on clutch-time defense all season long. Their overall defensive rating hovers in the league’s middle tier, and their perimeter defense remains suspect, especially when injuries come into play. If they want to be more than late-game specialists, they’ll need to clean up those weaknesses, especially in a stacked Western Conference.
But for now, their late-game poise gives reason for cautious optimism. If this group can keep playing hard in crunch time and continue to build chemistry on defense, they could be one of the most dangerous sleepers in the West come playoff time. Clutch defense isn’t flashy, but it as the old saying goes: defense wins championships.