The LA Lakers have clinched the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs after drubbing the Utah Jazz 131-107 on Sunday. LA had a chance to move up to the No. 3 spot, but the Denver Nuggets’ 128-118 win over the San Antonio Spurs kept LeBron James and Co. in the same slot.
LA had the No. 3 seed in late March but couldn’t hold on to that spot due to injuries to key players and the Nuggets’ late surge. Without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique), the team closed the regular season with a 3-3 record while Denver sprinted to the end with a 12-0 run.
LA will host the No. 5 Houston Rockets to open its playoff campaign.
LA Lakers vs Houston Rockets Schedule and TV Coverage
The LA-Houston series will begin in Los Angeles on Saturday. Game 1 will be at Crypto.com Arena, where the home team is 28-13 in the regular season. ABC will air the showdown at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The schedule of the remaining games and coverage will be announced at a later date.
Injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves Loom Large for LA
Injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves could determine how far the Lakers go in the playoffs. Doncic, the MVP contender, is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring injury that will reportedly need four to six weeks to recover. Austin Reaves has the same timeline for a return due to a Grade 2 oblique injury.
Doncic averaged 38.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists in LA’s back-to-back wins against Houston that secured the team the season series (2-1). The Slovenian shot 50.0%, including 37.9% from deep. Reaves contributed 14.5 ppg, 6.5 apg and 3.0 rpg during the same stretch.
The Lakers’ healthy players must try to fill that void to help the aging LeBron James carry the team. James is averaging 23.0 ppg, 9.2 apg and 6.6 rpg since Doncic and Reaves went down with injuries.
The Lakers are unlikely to get out of the first round if both can’t return.
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