Los Angeles Lakers Schedule: Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz, Raptors Among Expected Orlando Games

When the 2020 NBA season resumes on July 31 in Orlando, Florida, the Los Angeles Lakers will have their eyes on the No.1 seed in the Western Conference. With a 5-5.game lead over the No.2 L.A. Clippers, it won’t take much for the Lakers to secure top the spot in the West playoff bracket.

The NBA’s 22 best teams will each play eight games before the playoffs at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The schedule for every team is expected to reflect its original slate, skipping games that involved an opponent that is now done for the season.

Before the season was suspended indefinitely on March 11, the Lakers were supposed to host the Houston Rockets on March 12. Since Houston has clinched a playoff berth, along with Los Angeles, the two teams should meet in their first contest in Orlando.

The first half of the Lakers’ schedule should remain unchanged. After the Rockets, Los Angeles was set to host the Denver Nuggets, followed by consecutive matchups with the Utah Jazz. The Jazz and the Nuggets are both locked into playoff berths, so expect the Lakers to face them in their second, third and fourth contests of the resumed season.

After facing Utah on March 18, Los Angeles was supposed to play the Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons as part of a back-to-back. Those games won’t happen because Charlotte and Detroit will remain home, already eliminated from contention.

The Lakers’ March 24 matchup with the Toronto Raptors is expected to be rescheduled for August. The March 26 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers won’t happen.

That’s where the Lakers’ schedule starts to get a little complicated.

Los Angeles was supposed to face the Washington Wizards on March 28. The only problem is the Wizards have eight games scheduled with teams that are going to be in Orlando before getting to their matchup with L.A.

Skip over the Lakers’ March 30 matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Los Angeles should still take on the Indiana Pacers, who were supposed to visit Staples Center on April 1.

The Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder, who are on the Lakers’ schedule directly after the Pacers, will have reached their eight games before facing Los Angeles. The same goes for the Clippers and Suns, whom the Lakers were supposed to play in April.

The NBA will find two more games for the Lakers, based on which teams in the Disney “bubble” need to fill out their schedule.