2026 NBA Season

[dwyane36]

So yes it will be Durant vs Lebron this time, it will be tough for Lakers to win this game if Reaves and Luka cannot go back on their normal rotation. If they manage to get back on perfect time Lakers may had great chance to win against Rockets.

Unfortunately, Luka and Reaves will likely miss either part or all of the first round of the playoffs. This means LeBron will have to give it his all in the first round and somehow beat the Rockets on his own, which, of course, won’t be easy.
However, if the Lakers do manage to get past the first round, their chances of going deep in the playoffs will increase significantly, since by that point, Luka and Reaves will be healthy.

[Stavri]

Rockets have the easiest schedule. if they go 4-0, they could finish in 3rd place. They will most likely finish 3rd or 4th.

Standings:
3rd: Denver – 50 wins
4th: Lakers – 50 wins
5th: Rockets – 49 wins

Schedule:
Lakers: vs. OKC, @ GS, vs. Suns, vs. Jazz

Denver: vs. Portland, vs. Memphis, vs. OKC, @ Spurs

Rockets: @ Suns, vs. 76ers, vs. Wolves, @ Memphis

I think the Denver though might have the easiest schedule amongst the three.  While Lakers and Rockets might go 50/50 in their remaining games. Nuggets at 51 wins, Lakers at 50 and Rockets at 49 wins. So it's going to be very close between the three teams but I think the Denver will be the 3rd set and then we will see what's going to happen between Lakers and Rockets. For the series records between the two, the Lakers hold the edge 2-1. So in case that they have the same records, the Lakers might end up with the 4th seed base on that strength of winning records against the Rockets but I could be wrong though.

Looks like it will be the Lakers against the Houston Rockets in round one of the playoffs. I actually like this matchup for the Lakers. In the last two games I watched, the Lakers seemed to control the entire game. Hopefully Luka and Austin aren’t out for too many games.

And this is what the updates of NBA shown towards playoff first round match up https://www.nba.com/news/2026-nba-playoffs-standings-and-bracket-updates

So yes it will be Durant vs Lebron this time, it will be tough for Lakers to win this game if Reaves and Luka cannot go back on their normal rotation. If they manage to get back on perfect time Lakers may had great chance to win against Rockets.

Lebron's got a tough road ahead in this matchup. Even though the King put up 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 15 assists against a Mavs team that’s already thrown in the towel, he still couldn't prevent the loss.
fact that the other two stars are out for the rest of the regular season is both a huge blow to morale and has tripled the load on his shoulders. i just hope he doesn't suffer a serious injury himself before the playoffs.

[Wapfika]

Lebron's got a tough road ahead in this matchup. Even though the King put up 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 15 assists against a Mavs team that’s already thrown in the towel, he still couldn't prevent the loss.
fact that the other two stars are out for the rest of the regular season is both a huge blow to morale and has tripled the load on his shoulders. i just hope he doesn't suffer a serious injury himself before the playoffs.

Bench players contributed a lot on this game for the Mavs. If you will compare contributions of bench players between Lakers and Mavs, You will spot that Lakers has limited score on their bench while Mavs bench players almost contributed with above 5 points.

Lakers missing 2 starter gives a huge blow on their roster especially 2nd unit since they are already using them as starters.

Their only chance is when Bronny take over.

[Webetcoins]

Imagine losing for struggling Mavs and their current loss expose Lakers that they cannot win against much tougher teams if Luka and Reaves is out on their rotation. Lebron is not same as before on which he can lift his team to win.

Also its important for them to adjust on their current situation and win their remaining games. Maybe this can help them to gain some momentum and they could able to hold on until Luka and Reaves goes back in their rotation.

I mean we all already know that without Doncic they are not going to be able to be that good, it was never really a question. We knew that Doncic was the one that was carrying that team, and when you remove Reaves on top of that?

That team is looking like Lebron and the gang of Cavs back in the day, the difference is that this time Lebron is 42 years old give or take, 41? 42? Not sure, and he can't just carry a bunch of nobodies to finals anymore, he has not done that in a long time. This is why it makes sense for Lakers to just end up getting a loss and going home this year.

[freedomgo]

That team is looking like Lebron and the gang of Cavs back in the day, the difference is that this time Lebron is 42 years old give or take, 41? 42? Not sure, and he can't just carry a bunch of nobodies to finals anymore, he has not done that in a long time. This is why it makes sense for Lakers to just end up getting a loss and going home this year.

You’re just pointing out the obvious. LeBron can’t take this team to a higher level anymore. The reason they’re still in the playoffs is Luka, because without him they would clearly struggle.

Now it’s even worse because it’s not only Luka, Reaves is out too, and that’s a huge problem.

Looking at the standings now, they already dropped to 4th after two straight losses and could easily fall to 5th. If that happens and they face the Rockets, they’ll probably lose in 5, if they’re lucky.

[jakdanyel]

Unfortunately, Luka and Reaves will likely miss either part or all of the first round of the playoffs. This means LeBron will have to give it his all in the first round and somehow beat the Rockets on his own, which, of course, won’t be easy.
However, if the Lakers do manage to get past the first round, their chances of going deep in the playoffs will increase significantly, since by that point, Luka and Reaves will be healthy.

Isn't Reaves just out for rest of the whole season actually including playoffs? Or do I know it wrong? If he is expected to be back during playoffs it's nice.

However I don't even think Lakers will be able to continue much without Luka and Reaves both.    LeBron can't play that big in the end.

Let's say Reaves recovered but Luka couldn't then still it's a big issue for them.

[Webetcoins]

The Lakers will only make it through the first round without any trouble if Luka and Reaves can recover from their injuries by then.
As for LeBron, his contract is set to expire after this season, but it’s worth noting that he’s still playing well. After all, he nearly recorded a triple-double in the last game against the Mavs.

Lakers is probably gonna get jumped by the Nuggets in the remaining games and fall behind Houston.. Houston is so damn lucky.
Once again, the Lakers fate is resting on LeBron’s shoulders right before the playoffs. Though, who knows if the Nuggets would actually prefer the Wolves over Houston.

As far as I know, it doesn't really matter if you are fourth or fifth, you are going to face each other. The only difference could be the home court advantage one, and for teams like these, does it really matter?

Best case, you will get one round and lose at the second round, worst case you just do not play another round and start your vacation earlier. Neither Rockets nor Lakers are winning anything more than just the first round, afterwards they are going to get a loss, so this result doesn't really matter to them.

[Oasisman]

Unfortunately, Luka and Reaves will likely miss either part or all of the first round of the playoffs. This means LeBron will have to give it his all in the first round and somehow beat the Rockets on his own, which, of course, won’t be easy.
However, if the Lakers do manage to get past the first round, their chances of going deep in the playoffs will increase significantly, since by that point, Luka and Reaves will be healthy.

Isn't Reaves just out for rest of the whole season actually including playoffs? Or do I know it wrong? If he is expected to be back during playoffs it's nice.

However I don't even think Lakers will be able to continue much without Luka and Reaves both.    LeBron can't play that big in the end.

Let's say Reaves recovered but Luka couldn't then still it's a big issue for them.

The reports said Reaves and Luka could make a comeback as early as the 2nd round in the Playoffs. Luka is exploring some options to get the best doctor in Europe for his speedy recovery. Some people even think both Reaves and Luka were just resting up as preparation for the upcoming playoffs since they already clinched a spot. LeBron could just sit out for a couple of games for their remaining 5.
However, if those injuries were legit, and both Reaves and Luka will miss the 1st round. Again, I don't think the Lakers would survive against the Rockets or the Wolves If these both teams are healthy.

[OgNasty]

Unfortunately, Luka and Reaves will likely miss either part or all of the first round of the playoffs. This means LeBron will have to give it his all in the first round and somehow beat the Rockets on his own, which, of course, won’t be easy.
However, if the Lakers do manage to get past the first round, their chances of going deep in the playoffs will increase significantly, since by that point, Luka and Reaves will be healthy.

Isn't Reaves just out for rest of the whole season actually including playoffs? Or do I know it wrong? If he is expected to be back during playoffs it's nice.

However I don't even think Lakers will be able to continue much without Luka and Reaves both.    LeBron can't play that big in the end.

Let's say Reaves recovered but Luka couldn't then still it's a big issue for them.

The reports said Reaves and Luka could make a comeback as early as the 2nd round in the Playoffs. Luka is exploring some options to get the best doctor in Europe for his speedy recovery. Some people even think both Reaves and Luka were just resting up as preparation for the upcoming playoffs since they already clinched a spot. LeBron could just sit out for a couple of games for their remaining 5.
However, if those injuries were legit, and both Reaves and Luka will miss the 1st round. Again, I don't think the Lakers would survive against the Rockets or the Wolves If these both teams are healthy.

The Rockets aren’t a great team. I think the Lakers can beat them without Reeves. I also think Luka will be back if LeBron doesn’t get them ahead in the series by himself. It looks like LeBron will be sitting out the Lakers next game, so they’re definitely looking to be rested going into the postseason.

[xzone]

So yes it will be Durant vs Lebron this time, it will be tough for Lakers to win this game if Reaves and Luka cannot go back on their normal rotation. If they manage to get back on perfect time Lakers may had great chance to win against Rockets.

Unfortunately, Luka and Reaves will likely miss either part or all of the first round of the playoffs. This means LeBron will have to give it his all in the first round and somehow beat the Rockets on his own, which, of course, won’t be easy.
However, if the Lakers do manage to get past the first round, their chances of going deep in the playoffs will increase significantly, since by that point, Luka and Reaves will be healthy.

LeBron is the goat, I've always had a lot of respect for him, but he's getting old now and he can't be enough for this team alone. I don't think the team will be successful without Doncic and Reaves, it doesn't seem very believable. I don't think the Rockets will be an easy opponent; they were one of the favorites at the beginning of the season, and even though their performance dropped later, I think they are still a strong team. The players on the team will get along well again during the playoffs, and in that case, we could see a very good team

[cryptomaniac_xxx]

Unfortunately, Luka and Reaves will likely miss either part or all of the first round of the playoffs. This means LeBron will have to give it his all in the first round and somehow beat the Rockets on his own, which, of course, won’t be easy.
However, if the Lakers do manage to get past the first round, their chances of going deep in the playoffs will increase significantly, since by that point, Luka and Reaves will be healthy.

Isn't Reaves just out for rest of the whole season actually including playoffs? Or do I know it wrong? If he is expected to be back during playoffs it's nice.

However I don't even think Lakers will be able to continue much without Luka and Reaves both.    LeBron can't play that big in the end.

Let's say Reaves recovered but Luka couldn't then still it's a big issue for them.

The reports said Reaves and Luka could make a comeback as early as the 2nd round in the Playoffs. Luka is exploring some options to get the best doctor in Europe for his speedy recovery. Some people even think both Reaves and Luka were just resting up as preparation for the upcoming playoffs since they already clinched a spot. LeBron could just sit out for a couple of games for their remaining 5.
However, if those injuries were legit, and both Reaves and Luka will miss the 1st round. Again, I don't think the Lakers would survive against the Rockets or the Wolves If these both teams are healthy.

The Rockets aren’t a great team. I think the Lakers can beat them without Reeves. I also think Luka will be back if LeBron doesn’t get them ahead in the series by himself. It looks like LeBron will be sitting out the Lakers next game, so they’re definitely looking to be rested going into the postseason.

But losing Luka and Reaves is a different story for the Lakers. Yes, you might consider that Rockets are not a great team, but if they face in a playoff, the Rockets have Durant, so there is someone that is going to carry them with experience.

Unlike last year wherein the Rockets are fairly young and no experience at all that's why even if they are amongst the top seed, they've lost. So for me, even if we see Lebron still playing high level, it might not be enough for him to carry the Lakers.

[Yaunfitda]

Unfortunately, Luka and Reaves will likely miss either part or all of the first round of the playoffs. This means LeBron will have to give it his all in the first round and somehow beat the Rockets on his own, which, of course, won’t be easy.
However, if the Lakers do manage to get past the first round, their chances of going deep in the playoffs will increase significantly, since by that point, Luka and Reaves will be healthy.

Isn't Reaves just out for rest of the whole season actually including playoffs? Or do I know it wrong? If he is expected to be back during playoffs it's nice.

No, as per reports he is going to missed the entire round 1 of the playoff series. As he will be out for at least 4-6 weeks. So that is a huge gap that the Lakers will have to fill in with the absence of Reaves.

However I don't even think Lakers will be able to continue much without Luka and Reaves both.    LeBron can't play that big in the end.

Let's say Reaves recovered but Luka couldn't then still it's a big issue for them.

Best case scenario for them is to really have both Luka and Reaves when the playoff starts. But unfortunately, it will not be the case as the injury of this two players will really need some time to heal. So it's going to be on the shoulder of the 42 year old Lebron. The whole team will really have to dig deeper, specially Rui as he will be the next option for them to score or even soft Ayton.

[freedomgo]

The Rockets aren’t a great team. I think the Lakers can beat them without Reeves. I also think Luka will be back if LeBron doesn’t get them ahead in the series by himself. It looks like LeBron will be sitting out the Lakers next game, so they’re definitely looking to be rested going into the postseason.

Luka really needs to come back soon because the Lakers’ struggles are becoming more obvious. They just got beaten badly by OKC, and this is a team that’s supposed to be strong, but right now they look very weak. Without Luka, this is probably how they’ll look moving forward, although with the few remaining games and their current standing, they should still make the playoffs.

Still, Luka is the missing piece here. Reaves was injured for a while, and when Luka and LeBron were both playing, the Lakers were actually winning, so it clearly shows how important he is to the team.

[yenerbatmaz]

With both Doncic and LeBron absent, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a heavy defeat against Oklahoma. The game ended 87-123, a 36-point loss for the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers will make the playoffs this year, but I think they'll be eliminated in the first round.
Even if Doncic recovers from his injury, it's unlikely he'll regain his form immediately.

In the other game of the night, Houston defeated Phoenix 105-119 on the road. Alperen had a double-double, but I didn't like his performance in this game. Houston is in good form, winning all 7 of their last 7 games.

[Stavri]

With both Doncic and LeBron absent, the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a heavy defeat against Oklahoma. The game ended 87-123, a 36-point loss for the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers will make the playoffs this year, but I think they'll be eliminated in the first round.
Even if Doncic recovers from his injury, it's unlikely he'll regain his form immediately.

In the other game of the night, Houston defeated Phoenix 105-119 on the road. Alperen had a double-double, but I didn't like his performance in this game. Houston is in good form, winning all 7 of their last 7 games.

i think they rested Lebron in the Thunder game too. it was expected, because it basically means they accepted defeat from the start.

Lakers will try to find a way to win their remaining games against the Warriors, Suns, and Jazz. But with Doncic and Reaves out, that’s not something Lebron can pull off on his own.

[coinrifft]

The Rockets aren’t a great team. I think the Lakers can beat them without Reeves. I also think Luka will be back if LeBron doesn’t get them ahead in the series by himself. It looks like LeBron will be sitting out the Lakers next game, so they’re definitely looking to be rested going into the postseason.

Luka really needs to come back soon because the Lakers’ struggles are becoming more obvious. They just got beaten badly by OKC, and this is a team that’s supposed to be strong, but right now they look very weak. Without Luka, this is probably how they’ll look moving forward, although with the few remaining games and their current standing, they should still make the playoffs.

As much as the Lakers wanted Luka to make a comeback very soon, they shouldn't put pressure on him. His injury from what I understand, needed sometime to heal. So it's not like they can just inject pain relievers and Luka will be fine and can go back to play.

Still, Luka is the missing piece here. Reaves was injured for a while, and when Luka and LeBron were both playing, the Lakers were actually winning, so it clearly shows how important he is to the team.

Luka is their primary scorer now, not Lebron, that's why when he got injured, suddenly the team fell apart. Just like what we have seen against the Thunder, JJ was really pissed off from the beginning. But he can't do anything against the number team in the NBA.

[Questat]

i think they rested Lebron in the Thunder game too. it was expected, because it basically means they accepted defeat from the start.

Lakers will try to find a way to win their remaining games against the Warriors, Suns, and Jazz. But with Doncic and Reaves out, that’s not something Lebron can pull off on his own.

He played, but only with limited minutes. Actually, most of them did since they couldn’t recover from the huge deficit anyway. He had around 22:43 minutes, which is still a normal playing time, but they rotated more players since the starters needed rest after the game was already out of reach.

The highest minutes for the Lakers was Timme with 26:32.

On the OKC side, SGA played about 28 minutes and still put up 25 points. The guy really has to keep playing since he’s a strong MVP candidate and is building that streak of consecutive 20+ point games.

[ultrloa]

i think they rested Lebron in the Thunder game too. it was expected, because it basically means they accepted defeat from the start.

Lakers will try to find a way to win their remaining games against the Warriors, Suns, and Jazz. But with Doncic and Reaves out, that’s not something Lebron can pull off on his own.

He played, but only with limited minutes. Actually, most of them did since they couldn’t recover from the huge deficit anyway. He had around 22:43 minutes, which is still a normal playing time, but they rotated more players since the starters needed rest after the game was already out of reach.

The highest minutes for the Lakers was Timme with 26:32.

On the OKC side, SGA played about 28 minutes and still put up 25 points. The guy really has to keep playing since he’s a strong MVP candidate and is building that streak of consecutive 20+ point games.

As what I know Lebron got left foot injury and maybe the team just decide to let him rest just to make sure that he remain healthy on playoffs. For sure they can't afford to lose another star since this will be huge disaster for their team.

Not good for them to push more harder because they are in playoffs and also seems that OKC is to hard to defeat for todays game. What's important is to make their remaining core players available for playoffs until the other main star goes back on their rotation in playoffs. SGA is really impressive and he's chance to win the MVP award this season is so big.

[Cointxz]

i think they rested Lebron in the Thunder game too. it was expected, because it basically means they accepted defeat from the start.

Lakers will try to find a way to win their remaining games against the Warriors, Suns, and Jazz. But with Doncic and Reaves out, that’s not something Lebron can pull off on his own.

I believe they will not gonna try to compete with higher playoffs position considering their current roster while they already secured the playoffs position.

It’s better to use the remaining match to develop their bench players or test some players that will be a good candidate to replace AR and Doncic position.

Honestly, Lakers run was already over considering the team they will face on the 1st round without Luka.

[dwyane36]

As what I know Lebron got left foot injury and maybe the team just decide to let him rest just to make sure that he remain healthy on playoffs. For sure they can't afford to lose another star since this will be huge disaster for their team.

Not good for them to push more harder because they are in playoffs and also seems that OKC is to hard to defeat for todays game. What's important is to make their remaining core players available for playoffs until the other main star goes back on their rotation in playoffs. SGA is really impressive and he's chance to win the MVP award this season is so big.

On the one hand, it’s good that bench players are getting more playing time toward the end of the regular season, as they need to be prepared for the playoffs as well. But on the other hand, this game against the Thunder clearly showed just how weak the Lakers’ roster is without their starting trio.
p.s.
By the way, if I’m not mistaken, Luka seems to have had a similar injury earlier in the regular season, and back then, he was able to return to the lineup much sooner than initially expected. It’s hard to believe, but maybe he’ll be able to return early this time as well.