Lakers' NBA playoff seeding no longer priority entering final stretch

Injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have derailed the Lakers' playoff positioning

Apr. 9, 2026 at 10:41pm

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting in bold colors depicting an abstract basketball game, conveying the uncertainty and challenges facing the Lakers as they prepare for the playoffs.As the Lakers' playoff positioning becomes uncertain, a cubist depiction of their looming first-round matchup against the surging Rockets captures the fractured nature of their season.Dallas Today

The Los Angeles Lakers were in firm control of their playoff seeding just a week ago, but a blowout loss to the Thunder and injuries to key players Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have changed the team's priorities. The Lakers are now likely headed for a first-round matchup against the Houston Rockets, with homecourt advantage the main focus rather than securing a top-3 seed.

Why it matters

The Lakers' sudden slide down the Western Conference standings has major implications for their playoff hopes. With Doncic and Reaves out for the season, the team must now focus on getting healthy and preparing for a tough first-round series against the surging Rockets rather than jockeying for playoff positioning.

The details

After winning 16 of their previous 18 games and clinching a playoff berth, the Lakers suffered a blowout loss to the Thunder on April 3. In that game, Doncic suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and Reaves sustained a Grade 2 left oblique strain, both season-ending injuries. The Lakers then lost two more games to the Mavericks and Thunder, allowing teams like the Nuggets and Rockets to surge past them in the standings. As a result, the Lakers have gone from third place in the West to uncertainty about hosting a first-round series, with the Nuggets now in firm control of the third seed.

  • On April 3, the Lakers suffered a blowout loss to the Thunder.
  • Also on April 3, Luka Doncic suffered a season-ending Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
  • Also on April 3, Austin Reaves suffered a season-ending Grade 2 left oblique strain.
  • The Lakers then lost two more games to the Mavericks and Thunder in the following days.
  • The Nuggets entered Thursday on a 10-game winning streak, while the Rockets won 7 straight entering Thursday.

The players

JJ Redick

The head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Luka Doncic

The Lakers' star player who suffered a season-ending Grade 2 left hamstring strain.

Austin Reaves

The Lakers' player who suffered a season-ending Grade 2 left oblique strain.

LeBron James

The Lakers' star player who is expected to face off against Kevin Durant and the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.

Kevin Durant

The Rockets' star player who is expected to face off against LeBron James and the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

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What they’re saying

“It was all good just a week ago,”

— JJ Redick, Lakers head coach

“We've got to prepare our team, our group that we're going to have available to play in the playoffs series. Finding who's gonna be able to play in the playoffs for us. The seeding part probably went out the window after the OKC game.”

— JJ Redick, Lakers head coach

What’s next

If the Nuggets win their final two regular-season games, they will clinch the third seed in the Western Conference regardless of how the Lakers finish. The Lakers would need the Nuggets to lose at least one of their final two games to have a chance at reclaiming the third seed.

The takeaway

The Lakers' sudden slide down the standings has forced them to shift their focus from securing a top-3 playoff seed to simply preparing their available roster for a first-round matchup against the surging Rockets. Injuries to key players like Doncic and Reaves have derailed the Lakers' momentum and put their postseason positioning in jeopardy.