Top Matchups on the Lakers’ 2025-26 Schedule
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CONTENT:
The NBA’s full 2025-26 calendar is out, and several dates stand out for the Los Angeles Lakers, who enter the season with Luka Doncic in his first complete campaign with the team, LeBron James in the final year of his contract, and head coach JJ Redick aiming to improve on last year’s third-place Western Conference finish.
Opening Night: Warriors at Lakers – Oct. 21
The Lakers launch the season at Crypto.com Arena against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The latest chapter of the decade-long James-Curry rivalry headlines the league’s first night of action.
Timberwolves at Lakers – Oct. 24
Minnesota ended Los Angeles’ postseason in five games last spring. Newly signed center Deandre Ayton gets an early chance to test himself against the Timberwolves’ dominant front line in a nationally streamed Amazon Prime matchup that also features Doncic versus Anthony Edwards.
Lakers at Thunder – Nov. 12
Oklahoma City, the reigning NBA champion, hosts a Lakers team that has given the Thunder trouble in recent meetings. Los Angeles handed OKC a lopsided road defeat late last season before a controversial Doncic ejection swung the second game of a back-to-back set.
Clippers at Lakers – Nov. 25
Crosstown bragging rights and NBA Cup group-stage stakes converge when Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and the Clippers visit. The Lakers took three of four from the Clippers last year after several seasons of one-sided results the other way.
Mavericks at Lakers – Nov. 28
Doncic faces Dallas for the first time this season in the final NBA Cup group game. The night also marks Anthony Davis’ return to Los Angeles after missing last year’s meeting. Former Lakers D’Angelo Russell and Max Christie, along with assistant coaches Frank Vogel and Phil Handy, now work for the Mavericks.
Lakers at Celtics – Dec. 5
The league’s most storied rivalry resumes at TD Garden, the only regular-season stop the Lakers make in Boston.
Christmas Day: Rockets at Lakers – Dec. 25
Los Angeles takes its customary place on the holiday slate against a Houston squad that finished second in the West last year and added Kevin Durant in the offseason.
Lakers at Nuggets – Jan. 20
Denver eliminated the Lakers in two of the past three postseasons, but Los Angeles finally beat the Nuggets last year. Ayton’s performance against two-time MVP Nikola Jokic will be closely watched as the Lakers open their longest road trip of the season.
Lakers at Cavaliers – Jan. 28
If 2025-26 is James’ farewell tour, this game could be his final appearance in Cleveland, where he delivered the 2016 championship. The Cavaliers enter as one of the Eastern Conference front-runners.
Lakers at Knicks – Feb. 1
Madison Square Garden hosts what might be James’ last game in New York and offers Doncic another chance for a signature performance on the league’s most famous court against a Knicks team projected to contend in the East.
The highlighted matchups form the backbone of a pivotal season for a Lakers roster balancing immediate championship aspirations with potential long-term transition.
Source: Lakers Nation
