Los Angeles has clinched a playoff berth and will be back in the postseason for the fourth year in a row, with the Lakers guaranteed to avoid the play-in tournament and at least reach the first round. The update came after games finished Wednesday, April 8, and leaves Los Angeles locked into the No. 3, No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
With two regular-season games to go, the Lakers were 51-29 and could not fall below the No. 5 seed even if they lost out. They also locked down the Pacific Division title, giving them a cleaner path than many teams chasing the final stretch of the season. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will be sidelined at the start of the playoffs, but Los Angeles still has enough in hand to secure home-court position in the opening round.
The Lakers do not control their destiny to the No. 3 seed. Denver has the upper hand by 1.5 games, which means Los Angeles is guaranteed to finish between the No. 3 seed and No. 6 seed in the Western Conference for the 2026 playoffs. Because playoff seeding is based on win percentage, the final two games still matter for the exact draw.
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That leaves the first-round picture narrowed but not settled. Los Angeles could currently face the Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets or Houston Rockets, depending on how the last games reshape the Western Conference standings. For the Lakers, the big news is that the playoff road is already set; the only thing left is finding out who waits at the end of it.
