Despite the Lakers' recent struggles, it looks like some people still believe they have a real shot at winning the NBA championship this summer.

Deni Avdija, who's averaged 25.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 3.3 threes over his last 12 games, is undoubtedly the biggest breakout from the over-under-smashing Portland Trail Blazers, but he's not alone.

With a tenuous hold on third place in the tight Western Conference playoff race, they hit the road for three games, including two against Oklahoma City.

But it’s his 34-point outing against Auburn in the Final Four on Saturday that has led to ESPN’s Jay Williams declaring he’d take him as high as No. 2 in the upcoming NBA Draft. He has him coming off the board right after Duke forward Cooper Flagg.

The Florida Gators took a punch from the Auburn Tigers — but they punched back, and they punched back hard. Now, they’ve punched their ticket to the NCAA Finals for the first time since 2007, when Billy Donovan’s prolific Gators won their second consecutive national title.