Game 1 of Lakers' first-round playoff series is set

By finishing with a 53-29 regular-season record, the Los Angeles Lakers have finished as the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They managed to do so despite several injuries to key players throughout the season, and despite many national pundits predicting before the season started that they would be merely a play-in tournament team. The Lakers will face the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs, which means LeBron James will go head-to-head against Kevin Durant for the first time in the postseason since the 2018 NBA Finals.

Since they're short-handed without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, they will almost certainly be sizable underdogs, but they should also have a real shot at advancing, especially since they will have home-court advantage. Game 1 of that series will take place at 5:30 p. m.

Los Angeles time at Crypto. com Arena, and it can be seen on ABC. Game 1 between the Lakers and Rockets will be Saturday, April 18 with a 5:30 pm PT tip pic.

twitter. com/cKA7r2CqmO — Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 13, 2026 If the Lakers manage to get past Houston, they would, in all likelihood, face the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. While a victory there would be very improbable, anything could be possible if Doncic and Reaves are able to return to action.