EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- With a 28-29 record, the Lakers are three games out of the playoff picture with 25 regular-season games left.
Even tougher: they have the fourth-toughest remaining schedule in the NBA, according to ESPN Stats & Information projections.
So for LeBron James, it's time to turn on the afterburners, so to speak.
"It's been activated," the Lakers star said after practice Wednesday, talking about playoff intensity, as the team got set to host the Houston Rockets on Thursday.