With the Western Conference being a tight-knit race, this will be a series looking at the standings and games to watch as the Lakers look to secure home court and move up the standings. The Rockets tested the Lakers on Monday,

Back-to-back wins against Memphis and Houston have aided the Lakers' push for the No. 2 seed. Another key game, against Golden State, looms.

Outside of the Oklahoma City Thunder at the top of the Western Conference standings, a lot of uncertainty exists as to where each team will end up before the playoffs start. While several teams are still fighting to avoid the play-in tournament region of the standings,