The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs after the Nuggets still knocked off the Spurs while resting their starters, not named Nikola Jokic. LA stayed in fourth in the Western Conference. They will have homecourt advantage over Houston, but the Lakers will be underdogs without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Luka was playing like the MVP when he suffered a hamstring injury. This trade keeps getting more lopsided for the Lakers, but LA will need to win the opening round without their top two scorers. That is only possible against the Rockets, who struggle in the clutch.
The Lakers must play stout defense on Kevin Durant and find ways to score. Houston has an elite defense and will create problems for LA. The purple and gold will need Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard to take care of the ball. That won’t be easy against Amen Thompson and the Rockets' athleticism. Still, this was Los Angeles’ best chance to win in the opening round.
Lakers get best chance to get Luka Doncic back with matchup against Rockets
Luka has a grade two hamstring injury. The normal recovery takes three to six weeks, but the Lakers haven’t offered a timetable. Doncic went to Europe to get specialized treatment. LA can’t afford to bring him back too soon. Number 77 is the present and future for the purple and gold. He was one of the best players on the planet all season, including leading the NBA in scoring. The Lakers must think long-term.
Winning in the first round without him is the only way to get Luka back. The Lakers won three straight to close the regular season. They defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves early in the season without Doncic. It will take everyone stepping up in the best possible matchup against the Rockets.
If the Nuggets lost to the Spurs in the regular season finale, the Lakers would have vaulted to third in the West. It would have meant a second straight first-round playoff matchup against the Wolves. Anthony Edwards and his team won in five games last year. Minnesota has considerably more offensive firepower and arguably a better defense than Houston. The Lakers wanted no part of that Timberwolves rematch without Luka and AR.
Los Angeles won two of the three meetings against the Rockets this season, but Doncic played in all of those contests. They held Houston to 109 points per game during the regular season. The Lakers' path to victory is keeping the Rockets in check and letting LeBron James take over. LA won’t be favored, but this is their best shot at an upset.
The Los Angeles Lakers are excited to face the Houston Rockets in the four versus five series in the Western Conference. The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder will be awaiting the winner in round two. It would be fantastic if LA can pull the upset and get Luka Doncic back for his revenge versus OKC. The narrative is coming together perfectly. Hopefully, LeBron James can deliver another playoff upset and get number 77 back on the floor.