3 Reasons Lakers Can Actually Upset Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers head into their first-round matchup against Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets has heavy underdogs.

Mar 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

After securing the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers will face Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

A month ago, this matchup would have been lopsided in favor of the Lakers, who were one of the hottest teams in the league at the time, with superstar guard Luka Doncic putting on a nightly show while shattering records and setting milestones.

Unfortunately, that narrative has flipped, with the Lakers heading into this first-round matchup without Doncic or rising star Austin Reaves, both of whom are now dealing with injuries that could keep them out of the entire first-round series against the Rockets.

Even though the Rockets are heavy favorites heading into Game 1 on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, there’s still some hope for the Lakers to advance to the second round, with three reasons why Los Angeles can pull off the series upset over Houston.

No. 1: Playoff Experience vs. Pressure

Jan 24, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks to pass the ball to guard Marcus Smart (36) during the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Outside of Durant, who has an extensive amount of playoff experience, the rest of the Rockets squad isn’t used to the pressure that comes with playing in the postseason.

The Lakers, however, have quite a bit of experience in that department, led by superstar LeBron James, who has missed the playoffs only four times during his over two-decade career in the NBA.

Along with James, the Lakers have plenty of battle-tested veterans, like Marcus Smart (108 playoff games), Deandre Ayton (45), Maxi Kleber (44), Rui Hachimura (31), Luke Kennard (28), Jarred Vanderbilt (24) and Jaxson Hayes (14).

For those wondering, James has played in 292 playoff games, which is an NBA record.

So this veteran-led Lakers squad doesn’t lack experience in the playoffs, and that could come into play over the course of this seven-game series.

No. 2: Motivated Role Players Swing Series

Apr 9, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) brings the ball upcourt against the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Although superstars dominate the headlines, as James and Durant will likely do during this first-round showdown, role players can swing a series, especially when a team has homecourt advantage heading into Game 1.

The Lakers will take on the Rockets in Los Angeles for the first two games of this series, which will be crucial to the success of JJ Redick’s squad in the first round. 

James and company can embrace the underdog role in this series, with plenty of Lakers players who stand to benefit greatly from stepping up in this situation.

Kennard, Hachimura, Hayes and Kleber will all be unrestricted free agents this summer, meaning this series could weigh heavily in determining the immediate futures of their NBA careers. 

That said, they’ll all be highly motivated to make their presence known, and that might bode well for the Lakers in this series, who many have written off before Game 1 has even been played.

The two players the Lakers will need to lean on to help James propel them to victory are Kennard and Hachimura. Both veterans are more than capable of making a considerable impact to help shoulder the load in the absence of Doncic and Reaves, which could prove to be the difference in this series.

No. 3: Potential Return of Luka Doncic and or Austin Reaves

Mar 14, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts with guard Austin Reaves (15) after scoring a game-winning shot during overtime against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

At this point, there’s no telling whether Doncic or Reaves will be available at any point during this series, even if it goes the distance. 

However, if James and the rest of the squad can put together some inspired performances in the early going, the return of the Lakers’ two best players would be game-changing and perhaps exactly what’s needed to pull off the unlikely upset in the first round.

Obviously, the Lakers can’t count on Doncic and Reaves making miraculous recoveries from injuries that require several weeks to come back from. Still, anything can happen in the playoffs, which should always keep hope alive in Los Angeles.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on YouTube, Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram for the latest news.