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The Los Angeles Lakers will have had nearly a week off between games when they start their second round series against the Houston Rockets on Friday. The extended break gave them the opportunity to heal their bodies after a series against the Portland Trail Blazers, but it also allowed them to have a mental break from the grind of the playoffs.
We saw LeBron James enjoying a cigar as teams in the East began their 2nd round series and the Nuggets and Jazz played in one of two Game 7s in the Western Conference. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope believes the time off has given the Lakers a fresh mindset heading into their series against Houston, according to SB Nation’s Christian Rivas.
“It give us some time to rest from that first series,” Caldwell-Pope said. “That was a tough matchup. There were a lot of bumps and bruises that we had, so it gave us a lot of time to recover and get them under control by becoming 100% healthy. It also give us a fresh mind, fresh focus going into the second round.”
The fresh mindset is important. While many were picking the Blazers as a trendy pick to give the Lakers fits, the Rockets are a drastic contrast, even from the Blazers, who have two great guards of their own. Houston’s belief in its smallball identity and the success they’ve had are going to provide challenges from a match-up perspective, as well as challenges from a mentality standpoint. Having a fresh mind to absorb what will be a drastic change in styles seems to be a crucial first step to the Lakers having success.
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