Lakers control No. 3
The Los Angeles Lakers have taken “firm control” of the West’s No. 3 seed — putting themselves on track to avoid the Play-In if they maintain momentum as the regular season winds down. (cbssports.com)
Los Angeles moved to 43-25 and extended its winning streak to six games with a 100-92 road victory over Houston on March 16, 2026. Luka Dončić scored 36 points on 14-for-27 shooting while LeBron James added 18 points and five assists, and the Lakers forced 24 Rockets turnovers in that game. The March 16 win evened the season series with Houston at 1-1 and set the teams’ upcoming rematch as the head-to-head tiebreaker that could directly alter which team holds the No. 3 seed. Los Angeles has swept Minnesota 3-0 this season (so it owns that tiebreaker), can clinch the Denver tiebreaker with one win in two remaining matchups, and already trails Phoenix in their season series. The Lakers have 14 regular-season games left and a slate that includes road trips to Miami and Oklahoma City and home games against Brooklyn and Phoenix before the April 12 regular-season finale. With seeds 3-6 separated by roughly two games in the West, a single late-season loss could flip L.A.’s position in the bracket. The NBA’s play-in tournament runs April 14-17 and the first-round playoffs begin April 18, so every remaining game will affect whether the Lakers avoid the play-in.
