What does the remainder of the Lakers schedule look like?

The Lakers' strong start to the second half of the season and their general winning run since their bevy of moves at the trade deadline certainly have fans thinking about how good this could get for the purple and gold.

As bad as the Western Conference is this year, the Lakers finishing above .500 will likely guarantee them a spot in the play-in game at the least. Anything above that is closer to house money.

After Sunday’s win, the Lakers sit at 29-32, needing to go 13-8 the rest of the way to secure a record above .500. How likely is it they get those 13 wins? Let’s take a look at the remaining schedule and where the Lakers need to find their wins in order to hit that 42-win mark.

The road trip

Feb. 28 — at Memphis
March 1 — at Oklahoma City

After a win over the Mavericks on Sunday in Dallas, the Lakers have two more games remaining on their road trip. The Lakers are cruising right now, but so is Memphis. Oklahoma City is a tough but winnable game after the Thunder have struggled since beating the Lakers.

Record needed: 1-1

The homestand

March 3 — vs. Minnesota
March 5 — vs. Golden State
March 7 — vs. Memphis
March 10 — vs. Toronto
March 12 — vs. New York

The Lakers begin a lengthy stretch of home games with five in a row in the arena formerly known as Staples Center. There are a couple of tricky games here, but affording them some wiggle room, go above .500 on this stretch and you’re still on pace.

Record needed: 3-2

The favorable stretch

March 14 — at New Orleans
March 15 — at Houston
March 17 — vs. Dallas
March 19 — vs. Orlando
March 22 — vs. Phoenix
March 24 — vs. Oklahoma City
March 26 — vs. Chicago

This right here will be an important stretch for a couple reasons. It’s the most favorable run of games left on the schedule and can either be the point where the Lakers can either build up their record if they’re already on pace or catch up if they’ve fallen behind.

You’re playing one of the worst teams in the league, a couple of teams around you in the standings and all but one game — Phoenix presumably with Kevin Durant — will feel winnable.

Record needed: 5-2

The final test

March 29 — at Chicago
March 31 — at Minnesota
April 2 — at Houston
April 4 — at Utah
April 5 — at Clippers
April 7 — vs. Phoenix
April 9 — vs. Utah

A late-season road trip is going to be a test for this team. It’s not one that lends itself to making up ground, but there will be a couple of games that could be very important here. Trips to Minnesota and Utah and a home game against the Jazz all could have huge playoff implications.

Record needed: 4-4

This isn’t a set-in-stone path the Lakers need to follow and they certainly will miss the mark on a couple of these. But what it does show is how little wiggle room the team has for the remainder of the season.

The pressure will mount as the season goes along, and that’s assuming the Lakers have the full health of LeBron James and Anthony Davis along the way. In short, buckle up Lakers fans. This will be a wild ride.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.