6 Playoff teams the Lakers had a winning record against in 2023-24

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently searching for reasons to believe that the 2024-25 season can prove more fruitful than the 2023-24 campaign. It's an admittedly optimistic endeavor, as Los Angeles is coming off of a first-round exit.

If there's reason for optimism, however, it's likely to be found in how well the Lakers played against a number of postseason teams last season.

Losing 4-1 to the Denver Nuggets left a sour taste in all Lakers fans' mouths. It was the second consecutive postseason series loss to Denver, thus continuing a stretch of eight losses in nine games against their rivals in the playoffs.

Denver was more of a unique example of Los Angeles' shortcomings than some might presume, however, as the purple and gold actually thrived against a number of playoff teams.

In some cases, the Lakers got the best of Eastern Conference teams that resided near the top of the standings. In others, Los Angeles proved to be one of the best teams among the lower half of the Western Conference postseason picture.

Throw in a rather dominant record against the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and perhaps the team isn't quite as far from contending as it seems.

The first of two teams that once hosted a Lakers franchise player, the Cleveland Cavaliers simply couldn't get the best of LeBron James in 2023-24. That began early in the season, with Anthony Davis leading the charge and continued in April with D'Angelo Russell going off.

In both encounters, James was happy to pace his team to the victory with his facilitating and elevated defensive intensity.

Los Angeles won the first clash with Cleveland 121-115 on November 25 behind 32 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and two steals from Davis. Russell then dropped 28 points, while Davis tallied 22 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, six blocks, and three steals in a 116-97 win on April 6.

James posted 22 points, six rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and two steals in the first win against his former team, and 24 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, one block, and a steal in the second.

The Los Angeles rivalry continued in 2023-24 with the Lakers getting the best of the LA Clippers. That began with a 130-125 Lakers win in an instant classic of an overtime battle on November 1, during which James scored 35 points, and Davis and Russell both tallied 27.

The next time out, a January 7 encounter, Davis and James combined for 47 points and 18 rebounds in a more defensive-minded 106-103 win.

The Clippers got their revenge roughly two weeks later with a 127-116 victory on January 23. The celebration barely lasted a month, however, as James again put the team on his back in a 116-112 Lakers win on February 28.

James finished that fourth encounter with 34 points and eight assists, and all five Lakers starters scored in double-figures.

The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the most surprising teams to appear on this list. The Lakers not only got the best of Milwaukee during the 2023-24 regular season, but actually swept the season series with wins that were less than three weeks apart.

Moreover, the Lakers overcame the Bucks in consecutive battles during the final stretch of the regular season—when teams are meant to be at their best.

Los Angeles defeated Milwaukee 123-122 in a stunning encounter on March 8, with Russell scoring 21 of his season-high 44 points in the fourth quarter. Yet another classic was played on March 26, when the Lakers prevailed in a 128-124 double-overtime encounter.

Davis finished with 34 points, 23 rebounds, four blocks, and two steals, while Austin Reaves posted 29 points, 14 boards, and 10 assists in a James-less win.

The Lakers played four regular season games against the New Orleans Pelicans, compiling a 3-1 record during that time. Los Angeles then defeated New Orleans in the Play-In Tournament to bring that record to 4-1 across five encounters.

That all began when the Lakers destroyed the Pelicans 133-89 in the semifinals of the 2023 NBA Cup, with James posting 30 points in 23 minutes and Davis tallying 16 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals.

New Orleans evened the score with a 129-109 win over Los Angeles on New Year's Eve, but the Lakers pulled ahead with a 139-122 win on February 9—during which all five starters scored at least 20 points. James then tallied 28 points, 17 assists, 11 rebounds, and five steals in a 124-108 Lakers win on April 14.

Throw in a 110-106 win in the Play-In Tournament, during which all five Lakers starters scored in double-figures, and Davis had his former team's number.

The single most surprising team on this list is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City was the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference last season, with a 57-25 record tying for the second-best mark in the NBA behind the 64-18 Boston Celtics.

It started well for the Thunder, with a 133-110 win over the Lakers on November 30, but the success quickly swung in the opposite direction from there on out.

James scored 40 points, while Davis tallied 26, 11 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks, and a steal as Los Angeles took down Oklahoma City 129-120 on December 23. Davis then posted 27 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block in a 112-105 Lakers win on January 15.

With Russell posting 26 points and four steals, and Davis adding 24 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks on March 4, the Lakers won the season series with a 116-104 near wire-to-wire victory.

The Phoenix Suns have been one of the Lakers' top rivals for decades on end. That continued in 2023-24, when the teams met five times, including twice during the 2023 NBA Cup, and routinely played down to the wire.

Los Angeles ultimately prevailed, with a 3-2 head-to-head record that began with a 100-95 win in the second game of the season.

With 32 points from James and 17 from Cam Reddish, Los Angeles escaped 122-119 over Phoenix during the group stage of the 2023 NBA Cup. James then tallied 32 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals, while Davis posted 27 points, 15 rebounds, and nine offensive boards in a 106-103 win in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament.

Phoenix actually won the final two encounters between the two sides, but Los Angeles emerging with a 3-2 head-to-head record gives it the edge heading into the 2024-25 campaign.