Getty
HOUSTON, TEXAS – MARCH 18: Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in the team’s first game since the latest Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves injury updates, ruling both out for at least the regular season. While the news of both potentially set to miss an extended period of time doesn’t have a silver lining, the Lakers did at least get some good news over the weekend.
According to Dan Woike of The Athletic, after the Minnesota Timberwolves lost on Sunday to the Charlotte Hornets, the Lakers can now finish no lower than fifth in the Western Conference standings.
“Minnesota’s impending loss tonight means the Lakers can finish no worse than 5th in the West,” he wrote on X.
Minnesota’s impending loss tonight means the Lakers can finish no worse than 5th in the West.
Los Angeles is currently third in the West, tied with the Nuggets. However, they are in a close race with Denver, the Houston Rockets, and previously the Timberwolves, a team that has faltered with their recent injuries.
Lakers Get Good News After Luka Doncic And Austin Reaves Injuries
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 12: Luka Doncic #77 and Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers hold hands during a time out in the second half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
The Lakers went 15-2 in the month of March, surging up the standings to now sit third, only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
However, after both Doncic and Reaves were ruled out for at least the rest of the regular season, concerns were raised on both how Los Angeles would finish the year and where they’d end up in the playoff seeding.
But, based on the Timberwolves’ latest loss, they can now finish no lower than fifth. That doesn’t guarantee them home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason, yet still, amid a close race in the West standings all season, it’s good for them to know that they can’t fall too low in their final four games of the regular season.
Now, in the final week of the season, the Lakers can finish anywhere from third to fifth in the standings. As they are currently tied with the Nuggets, a team that has been on a roll recently, it wouldn’t be a shock for them to fall to fourth behind the Nikola Jokic-led team.
Additionally, right now, Los Angeles is a game ahead of the Rockets. If they can win at least two of their last four games, and the Lakers lose two of their final four, the Purple and Gold will fall to fifth. Not great, but not as bad as things could have been if the Doncic and Reaves injuries had been suffered even a few days earlier.
Lakers To Close Out The Year
HeavyHead coach JJ Redick admits the truth about why the Los Angeles Lakers have been able to thrive without LeBron James.
At this point in the season, however, seeding is not the most important thing for the Lakers. While they might want to get a favorable matchup in the first round, it’s not like they have a firm grip on their playoff destiny without their top-two scorers.
As head coach JJ Redick said, the Lakers plan on getting both Doncic and Reaves back sometime in the postseason.
“Both those guys are going to try to come back. So it’s our job to extend the season so that they can come back” – JJ Redick on the injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves
“Both those guys are going to try to come back, and it’s our job to extend the season so that they can come back,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said Sunday.
Still, that would require them to win at least one series, a series that would have to be led by LeBron James and company. But as Redick mentioned, rotational moves will be made, as new players will step up into ball-handling and playmaking roles in their final four games of the regular season.
Redick also said on the Lakers’ options when I asked him about this: “There’s a chance we call other guys up this week to help us finish the regular season. We’re just taking it day by day like we have all year.” https://t.co/zZpG9RzGMH
— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) April 5, 2026
“There’s a chance we call other guys up this week to help us finish the regular season. We’re just taking it day by day like we have all year,” he added, per Benjamin Royer.
Regardless of what happens with Doncic and Reaves, it’s going to be tough sledding for the Lakers for the time being. James proved that he still has some of his young energy left in him with his performance in their game against the Mavericks, but that doesn’t guarantee any success.
But the good news is that, even if the Lakers lose every game for the rest of the season, they can’t fall further than fifth in the West.
Eli Gregorski is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski
More Heavy on Lakers
Loading more stories
