Rockets Land Targeted Opening Round Postseason Matchup Vs. Lakers

Earlier in the 2025-26 NBA season, reports surfaced that the Houston Rockets were targeting a postseason matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers. Which did make sense, based on the Christmas Day matchup between the two teams.

Houston absolutely dominated the Lakers during that game, in front of a national audience. The Rockets won 119-96 and it didn’t even seem that close,

Lakers coach JJ Redick was fuming after the game. So much that he demanded a team meeting on a Saturday morning.

That was four months ago. Last month, there was a far different outcome. Twice.

Houston had a back to back home stretch and lost both meetings. Redick made the adjustment of double teaming Kevin Durant at half court, which Durant and Rockets coach Ime Udoka struggled to adapt to.

Durant had seven turnovers in the first game and four turnovers in the second. The Lakers held Durant to 11 shots in the second matchup by denying him the ball.

That was during the regular season. The postseason is upon us, now. There’s an entirely new season.

And the Rockets did get their desired opening round matchup against the Lakers. Thanks to the Denver Nuggets’ victory over the San Antonio Spurs when the two teams faced off against one another in Sunday’s season finale.

If the Spurs had won that game, the Rockets would have faced off against the Nuggets, as Denver would’ve dropped to the fourth spot.

Instead, the Lakers finished fourth in the Western Conference, while the Rockets finished fifth – which they’ve been locked in to for some time.

The two teams finished within just one win of one another during the regular season, with the Rockets winning 52 games and the Lakers winning 53 games.

This Lakers team is different than the version Houston faced in those three matches, however. Considerably different.

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both sidelined, as of this writing. They’ve both been ruled out for the season, but the playoffs typically bring a different level of competitiveness. Players tend to want to give it a go.

Again, it’s a new season. And it’s do or die. Or win or go home. Whichever adage you prefer. It wouldn’t be shocking if either of the two made a late series return to the hardwood.

They’d still be limited, however. Regardless, the Rockets can’t continue their trend of playing down to their level of competition.

And this iteration of the Lakers would be a lottery team, if forced to fare without Doncic and Reaves for the entirety of an 82-game season. And the Rockets have blown games to lottery-level teams all season.

(See Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings –twice--. Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers). Even still, this matchup would seem to be Houston’s easiest, considering the injuries.

But it’s also worth noting that Reaves and Doncic are two of the Lakers’ worst defenders (in turn for being two of their best scorers and overall players). The Rockets will need to capitalize on the matchup, because the Lakers won’t just roll over and fold. LeBron James is still on the other side.