The Los Angeles Lakers have won three games in a row, and superstar small forward LeBron James says there is one reason why the team is starting to play better.

Speaking to reporters after practice on Tuesday, James said the Lakers' improved defense is the key to the club's current winning streak, via Mike Trudell of Lakers.com:

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On the biggest reason they’ve won three straight to improve to 14-9:

James: “Defensively we’ve been in tune, and offensively we’ve been playing together. Besides the turnovers, which we want to get better at – that’s always a topic of conversation and point of emphasis for us, but we’ve been defending and we’ve been playing together.”

On if the defense is sustainable:

James: “This is what we preach around here every day. So it has to be sustainable. It needs to become the norm, and it is the norm for us now.”

The Lakers are giving up 111.0 points per game, which is 17th in the NBA. They have made a drastic improvement on the defensive side of the ball ever since Tyson Chandler signed with the team. During this three-game winning streak over Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, the Lakers are giving up just 98.3 points per contest.