The Lakers are surging with seven straight wins, and victories in ten out of eleven games. It’s been a whirlwind week with games against Denver and consecutive road games against the Houston Rockets. Today, could be a spot where the Lakers value the long term health for the playoffs, rather then play their key players. Even if Luka and company are cleared, back the Heat who will be motivated off a thirty point loss to the Hornets.

Time for the hot Lakers to cool off. L.A. plays its third road game in four nights, and its terrific trio all are listed as questionable. LeBron James wants to play in his former home but banged his elbow Wednesday. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves also have pushed through ailments to improve the Lakers' playoff status, so they might sit, too. For Miami, Bam Abedayo has been dealing with a sore calf but is listed as probable. While L.A. might not withhold all of its heavy scorers, with the team plane not landing until nearly dawn Thursday from Houston, a plausible scenario is one or two taking a pass, which would open the door for a Miami W.