The Lakers got some good news Thursday as the NBA said it has approved the appeal from Luka Dončić and the Lakers for an exemption from the 65-game rule that governs postseason awards eligibility. The league agreed that the pair of games Luka missed to attend the birth of his daughter met the extraordinary circumstances threshold, and that he otherwise would have made it to 65. So he's good to go. Dončić won't win MVP -- the longshot candidacy went out the window with the result vs. OKC and the resulting injury -- but if he doesn't land on the All-NBA 1st Team, the honor is fundamentally broken. The whole thing needs to be rethought, anyway. Meanwhile, the Lakers again went through a spirited practice in El Segundo on Thursday, and seem about as prepared as you can be in the situation they're in. Everyone has a healthy understanding of what they're up against, while maintaining a spirit of optimism and possibility. They have confidence in what they're doing, and certainly aren't feeling sorry for themselves. And with all that, if there's an advantage the Lakers have it's in expectations: Nobody believes they'll win. Nobody is really expecting them to be all that competitive. So just go play and try to do something special. And while they have an obvious talent deficit, it's easy to believe the Lakers have the mental toughness and heart to make Houston earn it. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: The Lakers and Luka get some good news on Thursday. SEGMENT 2: LeBron praises Houston's depth. SEGMENT 3: The Lakers have the right spirit and mental toughness. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! TurboTaxThis year you’re getting a major upgrade — Intuit TurboTax now has in-person locations nationwide. Visit http://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today. RugietGet 15% off your treatment → https://rugiet.com/lockedonnhlRugiet. Performance medicine for men. Rocket MoneyLet Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join athttps://RocketMoney.com/LOCKEDON. 5-Hour ENERGYGet candy-flavored chaos with Fruity Rainbow 5-hour ENERGY®️ Shots - available online at https://5hourENERGY.com or Amazon IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply. FanDuelToday's episode is brought to you by FanDuel.Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins.Visit https://FANDUEL.COMto get started — Play Your Game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)