The Houston Rockets will kick off their playoff odyssey with a road matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, and they’ll look to set the tone for their first-round series with a Game 1 victory.
A key to victory for the Rockets is to keep star forward LeBron James in check — if they can achieve that, they should be in good shape. With Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic sidelined, folks should expect James to be extra aggressive in looking for his own shot.
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Records, standing, and streaks
Mar 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) greets Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) on the court after the game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
At present, the Rockets come into this series with the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, and the Lakers hold the No. 4 seed.
As this is Game 1, the series is currently tied 0-0.
What happened in the last game for each team?
Mar 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Houston beat the Memphis Grizzlies (132-101) at home.
Los Angeles beat the Utah Jazz (131-107) at home.
Injuries
Nov 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) and Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green (32) on the bench against the Washington Wizards during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
For Los Angeles, Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain) is out and Austin Reaves (left oblique muscle strain) is out.
For Houston, Fred VanVleet (ACL repair) is out, Steven Adams (left ankle surgery) is out and Kevin Durant (right knee contusion) is questionable.
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Probable starting lineups – Houston
Mar 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles against Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) and forward Kevin Durant (7) in the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Probable starting lineups – Los Angeles
Apr 7, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) celebrates a shot by guard Amen Thompson (center) against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets vs. Lakers: Stream, lineups, injury reports and more