Rockets vs. Lakers: 2026 playoffs open with showdown of Kevin Durant, LeBron James
In a high-profile matchup featuring two of the NBA’s all-time greats, Kevin Durant will lead the Houston Rockets (52-30, No. 5 in the Western Conference) into a first-round playoff series versus LeBron James and the fourth-seeded Lakers (53-29).
Considering injuries, the Rockets are heavy favorites in the best-of-seven series.
Game 1 tips off in Los Angeles on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Central, and it will be televised and streamed nationally via ABC. The availability of Luka Doncic (hamstring strain) and Austin Reaves (oblique strain), who led the Lakers in scoring this season, remains very much in doubt.
Dates for the remaining games of the series will be announced after the NBA’s 2026 play-in tournament concludes on Friday night. Game 1, Game 2, Game 5, and Game 7 will be played at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, while Game 3, Game 4, and Game 6 are at Houston’s Toyota Center — where the Rockets went 29-12 this season.
All contests from Game 5 onward are if necessary. Additional details, including information on how to buy tickets, are available at Rockets.com.
"At this point the Lakers are playing with house money. … This is all about the Rockets. This is all about Kevin Durant."@KendrickPerkins says KD's legacy is on the line this series pic.twitter.com/flubZ4s3VQ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 13, 2026
Historically, this will be the 10th time for the Rockets and Lakers to meet in the NBA playoffs, and the first since the 2020 Western Conference semifinals. That series was played in Orlando as part of the NBA’s “bubble” experience.
Since NBA adopted its current 16-team playoff format in 1983-84, the fourth- and fifth-seeded teams have an even series record against each other (42-42). The Rockets won their second title in 1994-95 as the sixth seed and are still the lowest-seeded champion in NBA history.
Featuring ClutchFans’ Dave Hardisty and Ben DuBose, an initial preview of the 2026 Rockets-Lakers clash is available in the video above.
The Rockets-Lakers series winner will advance to the second round of the playoff bracket, where they will likely face the defending NBA champion Thunder. As the No. 1 seed, Oklahoma City will need to defeat the eventual No. 8 (determined by the play-in tournament) to advance.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant will meet in the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals. They have played 14 playoff games against each other.
LeBron averages 31.9 PPG
Durant averages 31.7 PPGThey are the only duo in NBA history to meet in 10 or more… pic.twitter.com/o0lQNeExIm
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) April 13, 2026
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