Rockets vs Lakers Game Analysis and Preview
The No. 5 seed Houston Rockets will visit the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Lakers on April 18 to start their Western Conference postseason series.
Houston’s younger core could wear down LA’s older roster, especially LeBron James. But he has a history of elevating his game in the playoffs. If he drops 30 points and Davis dominates the paint, the Lakers could upset the Rockets, especially at home. Discover which team has the advantage in this Rockets vs Lakers prediction at PayPerHead.
Houston Rockets Recent Scores
The Rockets ended the regular season by winning 9 of their last 10 games. Their only loss came against the Timberwolves 136-132 on April 10. That loss broke an 8-game winning streak.
They had the second-highest offensive rating in the league during that stretch. But 6 of those games were against teams like Memphis, New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Utah, that were tanking or had no reason to give their best in the late stages of the season.
Their record was 52-30, compared to the Lakers’ 53-29. That one extra win gives LA home-court advantage for the series.
Round 1 is set.
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) April 15, 2026
All Fire from here on out 🔥
🎟️: https://t.co/25qljdm9HC pic.twitter.com/lVvqJWUCRz
Los Angeles Lakers Recent Scores
The Lakers had a tremendous run to end the season. They only lost 6 of their last 25 games. Three were in a cluster at the end of the season when Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves became injured, and they had to go up against the Thunder twice.
Dončić has a hamstring strain, and Reaves suffered an oblique strain. Both missed the last five games of the regular season:
- April 5: Dallas 134 – 128 Los Angeles
- April 7: Oklahoma City 123 – 87 Los Angeles
- April 9: Los Angeles 119 – 103 Golden State
- April 10: Los Angeles 101 – 73 Phoenix
- April 12: Los Angeles 131 – 107 Utah
The only competitive teams they faced in those matches were OKC and maybe Phoenix (who had no reason to play their best at that point).
Houston vs Los Angeles History: Christmas Revelation
The Rockets and Lakers went to court against each other three times this season, with the Lakers coming out on top 2-1.
- December 25, 2025: Rockets 119 – 96 Lakers
- March 16, 2026: Lakers 100 – 92 Rockets
- March 18, 2026: Lakers 124 – 116 Rockets
The Christmas thriller had Houston jump to a big early lead, which they never relinquished. Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 26 points. Kevin Durant added 25, with six others reaching double digits. It was a balanced attack.
Luka Dončić scored 25 points but had turnover problems. In the next two games, he dropped 36 and 40 points, respectively. He was key in those wins.
Rockets vs Lakers Score Prediction
Luka Dončic traveled to Spain for specialized treatment and will return Friday for re-evaluation. He is not expected to join the team for Game 1 and probably Game 2, but we’ll know more on Friday.
Because of their injuries, the Lakers are not favored to win Game 1 in LA. Houston has a 5.5-point spread over the Lakers, with a balanced roster featuring Kevin Durant, Alperen Şengün, Amen Thompson, and others.
LeBron James has a heavy load to carry, but at 41, he is still playing at a high level. At least he’ll have Anthony Davis to share the weight.
The Lakers were able to coast through most of their games without Dončić and Reaves, but that won’t be the case on Saturday. Our Rockets vs Lakers prediction is a 112-105 win for the Rockets, with them covering the spread.
