Despite a loss to the Cade Cunningham-less Detroit Pistons, the Los Angeles Lakers have been winners of 14 out of their last 16 contests. A stretch that includes a split with the Denver Nuggets, where each squad defended home court, two wins in three nights at the Houston Rockets, and a win at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Certainly, a high point for the Lakers’ season thus far, and the longest win streak of their season, going back to a seven-game win streak that covered a two-week period in November. In between those win streaks, the Lakers never strung together more than three consecutive wins. All that to say, the Lakers appear to be rounding into playoff form, thanks in large part to the success of Luka Dončić and LeBron James’s willingness to take a backseat role to Dončić and Austin Reaves.
Over the nine-game win streak, Luka’s scoring explosion was the driving force for the Lakers’ success. Averaging 40 points on over 40% from three-point range and just shy of 60% efficiency (59.7%), and highlighted by a 60-point performance against the Miami Heat. Heat center Bam Adebayo lamented Luka’s scoring outburst by referencing his own recent scoring onslaught against the Washington Wizards, saying, “I know what it’s like to be in that mode… it’s not easy to hit 80”.
Luka’s recent Herculean efforts have coincided with Austin Reaves rounding back into form after a spell of missed games due to a calf strain and, more recently, hip soreness. Reaves’ return to form was highlighted by three consecutive 30-point performances that helped the Lakers beat Denver and Minnesota, both wins allowing Los Angeles to secure tiebreakers for playoff seeding.
LeBron has slipped into a de facto third option role for the Lakers. Over their last five games, LeBron has surpassed 20 points just once, a 30-point game in the second of two consecutive matchups against the Rockets, and has never exceeded 15 shot attempts over that stretch. In the Houston matchup, LeBron was 13/14 with his perfect shooting night ending unceremoniously on a non-call despite considerable contact at the rim. Dončić and Reaves also passed the 30-point mark that night. Perhaps the greatest evidence of LeBron’s slip into the background comes from the first half against the Pistons, where LeBron attempted just five shots and finished the first half scoreless. Asked after the game about the change in his role, LeBron said, “It’s the role that I’m playing for the ball club. In order for us to win ball games, it’s the role that I’m playing. And that’s just how the game was going.”
The recent team success has seen the Lakers rise up from the Western Conference’s sixth seed to now controlling their own destiny and owning the three seed out West. The Lakers must continue to stay sharp and rely on their stars through the final 10 games. Easier said than done, as the Lakers still have two matchups remaining against the NBA’s defending champion, the Oklahoma City Thunder, each team getting a chance to protect their home floor.
Lakers Playoff Possibilities
It appears the Lakers are on a crash course for a first-round rematch against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team they lost to in five games last season. The Lakers appear to have the edge this time around. Lakers center DeAndre Ayton has shared a reframed mindset on his role as an effort player with the team, and will play a big role in matching up with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert. The addition of Ayton to this year’s Lakers squad will hopefully banish the memories of Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, and LeBron James matching up with Gobert in last season’s playoff matchup. The Lakers are resolving arguably their biggest issue from last season, the lack of size.
If LA doesn’t face Minnesota in the first round, it’ll either be another playoff matchup with the Nuggets or an up-and-coming Houston Rockets team led by Kevin Durant. It’s worth noting that the Lakers made Durant the focal point of their defense, holding him to under 20 points in both recent matchups. The second matchup saw the Rockets take advantage of their size and athleticism, with Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün leading the way offensively. To me, this is the most intriguing matchup for the Lakers. Houston boasts a young but fearless squad that has shown their ability to control the regular season, finishing second in the Western Conference in 2024-25 and controlling the second seed with the regular season coming to a close, the Rockets do not lack confidence or experience, but reports of a disconnected locker room could spell disaster for Houston as the playoffs quickly approach.
Then that brings us to Denver. In the LeBron era with the Lakers, they’ve faced the Nuggets twice for the right to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. These matchups have renewed a rivalry between the franchises, and another matchup is sure to further drive a wedge between the two fan bases. Denver boasts an immaculate team IQ led by Nikola Jokić, and is very athletic, a department led by Aaron Gordon. That IQ and athleticism are not ideal for a Lakers team built on blinding offense and, at times, suspect defense. It shouldn’t be understated the way Los Angeles has improved defensively in the second half of the season, though Reaves and Dončić are still not defensive stalwarts and will certainly pose a risk defensively in matchups with athletic guards Anthony Edwards, Amen Thompson, and Denver’s Jamal Murray. Enter Marcus Smart, former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, albeit nearly five seasons ago. His addition has greatly helped the Lakers’ perimeter defense and is sure to be key to their playoff success.
The Lakers’ ideal matchup is likely a rematch with the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards has dealt with some minor injury bugs late this season, and the supporting cast has left something to be desired outside of impressive contributions off the bench by Ayo Dosunmu, who joined the team via trade prior to the trade deadline. A move largely applauded across the league, and one that filled a great need for bench scoring and a secondary ball handler for the non-Edwards minutes. The Lakers’ ability to control and dominate match-ups against Minnesota this season has helped them cement themselves as a playoff team and place them firmly in the driver’s seat of their playoff destination.
All stats retrieved from Basketball Reference on March 25, 2026.
Quotes from Bam Adebayo and LeBron James retrieved from Yahoo! Sports on March 25, 2026.
