Lakers Draw Rockets in 2026 Playoffs, Opening Game Slated for ABC
The Los Angeles Lakers earned the No. 4 seed in the West with a 53-29 record and will face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. Game 1 is set for Saturday, April 18 at 5:30 p.m. PT on ABC. LA swept Houston 2-1 in the regular season, including two wins after the All-Star break, though Houston also handed the Lakers a Christmas Day blowout. With star availability in flux, the Lakers are viewed as underdogs against a Rockets club that finished strong down the stretch. A Durant–James playoff showdown adds intrigue, and Marcus Smart’s late-season return has the locker room optimistic about competing. Seeding depended on Nuggets–Spurs results; had Denver lost, LA would have moved to third and drawn Minnesota instead.