The Los Angeles Lakers managed to secure a spot in the NBA Playoffs after producing a hot streak later in the season as the team gathered momentum, winning 13 of 15 games.
Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves all appeared settled into their roles and the team was moving in the right direction, but that momentum has since been lost. The Lakers will have to move forward with James as the focal point after Doncic and Reaves each suffered injuries in the closing stretch of the regular season.
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The duo is also expected to miss part of the postseason. That leaves players like Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Marcus Smart to help navigate the Lakers’ potential postseason run long enough to try and get Reaves and Doncic healthy.
Doncic, who traveled to Europe for special treatment on his left hamstring strain, averaged a league-leading 33.5 points per game. He also ranked third in assists with 8.3 per game.
The Lakers finished the regular season with a 53-29 record following a 131-107 home victory over the Utah Jazz on April 12.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives with the ball against Golden State Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton (8) in the first quarter at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on April 9, 2026.
Who will the Lakers play in first round of NBA Playoffs?
The Lakers will serve as the Western Conference’s fourth seed in the playoff and take on the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets.
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Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 26 points per game in his first year with the franchise. Alperen Sengun leads Houston with 8.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game this season.
The Rockets finished out the regular season with a 52-30 record during the regular season.
When do Lakers and Rockets start first round?
The Lakers will host the Houston Rockets on Saturday, April 18. The game will air on ABC and start at 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET)
Where: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles)
Time: 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET)
Who won Lakers-Rockets regular-season series
The Lakers got the best of the Rockets during the regular season, winning the last two games of the three-game regular-season series.
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Dec. 25: Rockets def. Lakers 119-96
March 16: Lakers def. Rockets, 100-92
March 18: Lakers def. Rockets, 124-116
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will Los Angeles Lakers face in NBA Playoffs? Houston Rockets
