The 2024-25 NBA regular season officially ends at the end of Sunday, Apr. 13. From there, the NBA will pivot to the Play-In Tournament to find out which teams will earn the No. 7 and 8 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences. From there, the playoffs officially begin.
The Los Angeles Lakers, one year removed from Darvin Ham as coach, officially clinched their spot in the playoffs under JJ Redick. On Friday, the Lakers secured the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference after they defeated the Houston Rockets 140-109. Now, they just have to wait and find out who their opponents will be in the first round.
The first-round matchups could drastically change after Sunday's games. But when it comes to the probabilities, the team with the best odds to clinch the No. 6 seed, according to Basketball Reference, are the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors' odds are currently set at 57.3 percent.
A Lakers vs. Warriors first-round matchup? That is the NBA's dream, and it could become a reality.
Lakers vs. Warriors first-round matchup is most probable
Come on, who doesn't want to see Lakers vs. Warriors, and specifically, LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry? That's ratings galore for the NBA. Plus, you know it's going to be a great matchup.
These two big-name NBA teams faced off four times this season, with the Lakers getting the better of the Warriors, winning three of those matchups. Besides the Jan. 25 matchup, both James and Curry scored the most points for their team in the remaining three games. Here are the results of each matchup:
- Dec. 25, 2024: Lakers 115, Warriors 113
- Jan. 25, 2025: Lakers 118, Warriors 108
- Feb. 6, 2025: Lakers 120, Warriors 112
- Apr. 6, 2025: Warriors 123, Lakers 116
Of course, fans will want to see what Luka Dončić an do in the playoffs with the Lakers. Let's not forget that just a year ago, he played a huge role in the Dallas Mavericks making it to the NBA Finals. But now, he's donning the purple and gold after the still-shocking trade from February.
The Lakers and Warriors matched up seven times in the playoffs, with Los Angeles winning six of them. The Warriors won their first playoff series meeting in 1967 in a three-game sweep. From there, the Lakers won their next six head-to-head series. The most recent series was in the 2023 Western Conference Semifinals, which the Lakers won in six games.
Of course, we'll have to wait on the results of the final games on Sunday. Besides the Warriors, the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Minnesota Timberwolves are all in contention for the No. 6 seed.