(AP) -- A late-season five-game road trip against some stiff competition should be all the Los Angeles Lakers need to stay focused on the remainder of the regular season before setting out to defend their NBA title.
The Western Conference leaders look to extend their winning streak to seven games Wednesday night when they face the San Antonio Spurs in a possible preview of an opening-round playoff series.
Los Angeles (52-18) is outscoring opponents by an average of just 5.5 points during its winning streak, clinching a playoff berth for the 15th time in 16 seasons along the way. Included in the run were a two-point win over Toronto, a three-point triumph over Golden State and an eight-point win over lowly Minnesota. (MORE)