The Los Angeles Lakers are likely to end up in the play-in tournament, which has become a challenge Anthony Davis is ready to embrace.
"It's been fun, to be honest," Davis said Sunday after the Phoenix win. "We were a great team last year, and this is the first time since I've been here that we ran into a challenge. This is a different challenge for us."
If the Lakers go 4-0 while the Blazers go 2-2 (possible, considering Portland has Houston, Utah, Phoenix and Denver remaining), they can overtake the No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in tournament.
"I mean, we know that we're confident against anybody we match up against, especially when we were fully healthy. That's our mindset," Davis said. "Other teams, you've got to prepare for just because we're fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, whatever we are, we're going to come out and fight. And I think teams know that.
"They know that just because we're a lower seed we're not going to back down from anybody, we're going to come out and play Lakers basketball, and I think teams know that and feel that as well."