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Mar 6, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) reacts against the Indiana Pacers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lakers’ Defensive Commitment Has Marcus Smart Making Bold Claim

Originally posted on Los Angeles Lakers on SI
By Ryan Ward | Last updated Mar 18, 2026 4:46 PM ET

Over the last couple of weeks, the Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the league’s hottest teams, riding a six-game winning streak heading into Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets.

Los Angeles has won nine of their last 10 games, pushing them into the third seed in the stacked Western Conference standings.

One key element of their surge has been a notable improvement on defense, which has anchored a few recent victories over the likes of the Rockets, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers showcased that on full display in Monday’s 100-92 road win over the Rockets. They forced Houston to commit 24 turnovers while shutting them down in the fourth quarter by allowing only 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the floor.

Star forward Kevin Durant was a complete offensive non-factor in the second half, scoring just two of his 18 points while committing seven turnovers.

Marcus Smart Sees Something Dangerous Brewing With Lakers Defense

After the game, guard Marcus Smart spoke highly about his team’s potential to become a stout defensive unit, via Spectrum SportsNet.

“We can be really good, we all know it," Smart said of the Lakers' defense. "Our offense can be top of the top, very talented. So adding some defense like this, it makes us a really dangerous team. Our problem is staying consistent, right? That’s something we’ve been working on, that’s something we’re every day improving on. We understand it and we’re gonna try to continue to improve in that area.”

Smart certainly knows what it takes to buckle down defensively after winning a Defensive Player of the Year award and being a key factor on that end of the floor that helped the Boston Celtics win an NBA title.

Although there isn’t much time left in the regular season, Smart sees the path that the Lakers can take to maintain their steadily improved defense.

“We’re way up with the commitment part of that," Smart said. "We’ve exceeded where we were to start the season, exponentially. You’ve got a 41-year-old LeBron James diving on the floor, right? That right there speaks volumes on where we were to where we’re at now, and to where we’re continuing to try to go. You got Luka taking charges, getting steals, and moving his feet.

“You’ve got AR taking charges, steals, moving their feet, holding their own, and not being liabilities. Then you got me picking up my pressure. DA, Jaxson, and everybody else who comes in, we’re all trying to elevate our game, not on the offensive end because we know we can do that, but on the defensive end. We’re trying to take as much pride as possible there. We’re not perfect, we understand we still have a lot to get better at, but each and every day we’re getting better.”

Los Angeles’ strong stretch has them looking like a top-tier team in the Western Conference. There are no longer lingering questions about the defense's performance, but whether the Lakers can maintain that level of play on that side of the ball.

With the offense humming behind Luka Doncic’s MVP-caliber play, and if they can unlock the level of defensive prowess they lacked for much of the season, a deep playoff run could be in the books.

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