Marcus Smart speaks on Lakers' grit amid six-game win streak

The Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the Houston Rockets Monday night in a pivotal matchup for seeding in the Western Conference playoff race.

The Lakers sat just half a game ahead of the Rockets for the No. 3 seed, with Houston leading the season series 1-0.

A win for Los Angeles would not only extend their lead over Houston, but it'd also allow them a chance to even the series.

The game also offered another iteration of LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant, as the two top-six scorers have now squared off against each other 31 times (regular season) with many different teams.

Even without two-time All-Star Alperen Sengun, the Rockets proved tough to beat.

But ultimately, the scoring of Luka Doncic was too much to overcome as the Lakers held on to win 100-92.

Doncic finished with 36 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

James and Durant both finished with 18 points each, while Marcus Smart finished with 11 points and played a huge role defensively.

Following the game, Smart spoke to the media about Los Angeles' recent win streak, citing hustle and effort as a catalyst for their success.

“It shows that we're willing to get in the trenches and grind it out, which we probably couldn't say for us a couple of months ago. And that's what we're showing. We want to show we can get in those trenches. We can do the dirty things to help us win.”

Smart is no stranger to hustling, having won the NBA's Hustle Award three times throughout his career.

Although defense is his calling card, the former Defensive Player of the Year has seen offensive improvement as well, averaging 16 points over his last two contests.

Smart and the Lakers will play in another highly contested matchup Wednesday, facing the Rockets again in the series finale.

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