The Los Angeles Lakers, who closed the regular season at 53-29 to claim the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, will open the NBA Playoffs against the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets. Los Angeles won two of the three regular-season meetings between the clubs.
Injuries remain a major concern for the Lakers. Guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are still sidelined indefinitely and could miss the entire series, a development that has positioned Houston as the betting favorite despite lacking home-court advantage. The spaced-out schedule could allow one or both players to return if the matchup extends past four games.
LeBron James, 41 and in his 23rd NBA season, leads Los Angeles after a strong finish to the regular campaign. Houston counters with fellow veteran Kevin Durant, setting up the first postseason showdown between the two future Hall of Famers since the 2018 NBA Finals.
The winner is expected to meet the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference semifinals. Should the Lakers advance, the team hopes Doncic and Reaves could be available for that round.
First-round schedule & national broadcasts
Game 1: Rockets at Lakers — Saturday, April 18, 5:30 p.m. PT, ABC
Game 2: Rockets at Lakers — Tuesday, April 21, 7:30 p.m. PT, NBC
Game 3: Lakers at Rockets — Friday, April 24, 6 p.m. PT, Prime
Game 4: Lakers at Rockets — Sunday, April 26, 6:30 p.m. PT, NBC
Game 5 *: Rockets at Lakers — Wednesday, April 29, TBD, TBD
Game 6 *: Lakers at Rockets — Friday, May 1, TBD, TBD
Game 7 *: Rockets at Lakers — Sunday, May 3, TBD, TBD
* If necessary
This season all playoff contests will air exclusively on national networks; local television broadcasts are no longer permitted. Every Lakers postseason game will continue to be carried on 710 AM ESPNLA and in Spanish on KWKW 1330 AM.
Source: LakersNation.com
