The NBA playoffs are almost upon us. With merely a week of regular-season games remaining, various playoff possibilities are unfolding.
A squad aiming to return to the playoffs for three consecutive seasons is the Los Angeles Lakers Thanks to LeBron James' performance and the Lakers acquiring Luka Dončić in a major mid-season trade, Los Angeles is well-positioned to achieve that very thing.
Even though the Lakers' place in the playoffs hasn't been finalized yet, we can still examine the potential playoff paths for Los Angeles with only four regular-season contests left.
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Lakers playoff scenarios 2025
With an overall record of 48-31, Los Angeles is presently in third place within the Western Conference, trailing behind the leaders. Thunder and Rockets . The Lakers still have yet to clinch a playoff spot, but it looks like Los Angeles will likely end up with the No. 3 overall seed in the West.
Los Angeles' final three games come against Dallas on Wednesday, thenHouston on Friday, and Portland on Sunday, April 13.
Should the Lakers secure victories in two out of their final three matches, they will lock down the thirdseed. Winning just once more guarantees them a place among the top six teams.
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After the Lakers' loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, they remain short of securing a playoff berth. Despite this, Los Angeles still has a chance to end up seeded anywhere from No. 3 to No. 8 in the playoffs, with the No. 3 position being the most probable.
Lakers standings 2025
Below are the current Western Conference standings as of Monday, April 7, with the Lakers occupying the third spot.
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
| 1 | Thunder** | 65-14 | -- |
| 2 | Rockets* | 52-27 | 13 |
| 3 | Lakers | 48-31 | 17 |
| 4 | Clippers | 47-32 | 18 |
| 5 | Nuggets | 47-32 | 18 |
| 6 | Warriors | 47-32 | 18 |
| 7 | Grizzlies | 47-32 | 18 |
| 8 | Timberwolves | 46-33 | 19 |
| 9 | Kings | 39-40 | 26 |
| 10 | Mavericks | 38-41 | 27 |
| 11 | Suns | 35-44 | 30 |
**clinched conference
*clinched division
Lakers remaining schedule
Here’s a glance at Los Angeles’ upcoming four matches:
- Wednesday, April 9: In Dallas
- Fri, April 11: vs. Houston
- Sunday, April 13: In Portland
Lakers potential playoff opponents
Should the season conclude today, the Lakers would secure the third spot and face the No. 6 seeded Golden State Warriors.
Given the multiple possibilities for Los Angeles' draft position, it’s challenging to predict their exact match-up. A probable situation has them securing the No. 6 spot against Golden State. Warriors as the third seed or possibly the fourth seed for Los Angeles Clippers or Denver Nuggets as a fifth-seed.