Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers are finding their groove as a collective; on Wednesday night, they took their seventh consecutive win and second straight in three nights against the Houston Rockets, 124-116. Doncic was dominant on Wednesday, recording his 12th 40-point game of the season after tallying 40 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Never mind that the Rockets have a few elite perimeter defenders, when Doncic finds his rhythm, the only prayer the defense has is for him to miss.

But the Lakers know that hitting their stride in the regular season is not the ultimate goal. While this can help prepare them for what lies ahead, particularly a potential deep playoff run, they have their eyes on the prize. Doncic said as much in his postgame interview with Mike Trudell of Spectrum SportsNet.

“It's an amazing feeling. I love winning. Everything's better when you're winning. We have great chemistry. We have a great team. This is just the start of something beautiful,” Doncic told Trudell.

The Lakers are figuring it out, and considering how elite Doncic and James can be when the stakes are at their highest, there isn't a single team in the West that would love to see them in a seven-game series.

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Entire Lakers roster has bought into JJ Redick's system

Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) with center Deandre Ayton (5) against the Phoenix Suns during an NBA preseason game at Mortgage Matchup Center.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Lakers have had a plethora of growing pains this season, but it's rather telling that Deandre Ayton, of all people, would go to the media and say that he took a long, hard look at the mirror and realized that what the team needs out of him is defensive effort and energy.

The entire team has bought into what Redick is selling, and the Lakers, as a result, have been racking up the wins. But another tough test lies in front of them, as they are going to try and extend their winning streak to eight tomorrow night when they travel to Miami and visit the Heat at 8:00 PM E.T.