Clutch your pearls Charles Barkley: The Lakers actually are contenders

Sorry, Sir Charles. The Lakers have won six games in a row, including nine of their last 10 contests.Their offense is clicking.

Their defense is formidable. Amid their win-streak, they’ve beaten multiple teams atop the NBA standings, including the Knicks, Timberwolves, Nuggets and Rockets. It’s time to accept the reality you’ve been dreading: The Lakers are contenders. On Saturday, Charles Barkley antagonized Lakers fans by saying he hoped they didn’t beat the Nuggets.He said that would be his “worst nightmare” because then he’d have to hear sports shows calling them contenders. Not only did the Lakers beat the Nuggets in overtime, 127-125, but they then won their next game against the Rockets on Monday, 100-92, holding Kevin Durant to nearly as many field goals (eight) as turnovers (seven). Over the past two weeks, the Lakers have piled on increasingly impressive wins.

It’s time to accept the fact that a pattern has formed. The Lakers win over the Knicks in which they never trailed wasn’t an anomaly.Their victory over the Timberwolves wasn’t because Anthony Edwards was having an off night, shooting 2-for-15 from the field.

Their nail-biter over the Nuggets wasn’t luck.And their grind-it-out win over the Rockets wasn’t a one-off victory. The Lakers are good.

Perhaps they’re even really good. Something has changed for the team. Luka Doncic is playing MVP-caliber basketball for the second time this season after his sizzling performance amid the Lakers’ 15-4 start.Over the month of March, he’s averaging 34.3 points, 9 rebounds and 7.7 assists. Austin Reaves is being aggressive and has turned into a bonafide star, cementing his Arkansas flag on the elite of the league. LeBron James has embraced being the team’s third option even though he’s arguably the greatest player of all-time. Deandre Ayton is playing with force.

Marcus Smart is reminding everyone that he’s a former Defensive Player of the Year. Lakers...