Next season, the Los Angeles Lakers will have a crucial late-season challenge: two of their final six games will be against the reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those games will be more than just a couple of matchups; they could offer a strong glimpse at how playoff-ready the Lakers really are.
Lakers face final exam with champs on the schedule
Playing the defending champs that close to the finish line? That is no accident of scheduling; that is the basketball gods throwing down a gauntlet. The Thunder have evolved from a young, exciting team into a title-winning powerhouse.
Those two games near the end of their season will not just be about talent. It will be about grit. The kind of playoff-intensity grit that does not show up in a box score.
For the Lakers, it will be all about timing. You do not want to be figuring things out in April. You want chemistry baked in, roles defined, legs fresh, and stars sharp. The final stretch of the regular season is when contenders separate from pretenders, and the Thunder provide the perfect measuring stick.
Think about the stakes. These games could determine whether the Lakers secure home-court advantage in the first round or slip into a tougher matchup. They might even dictate whether the Lakers face a play-in game or enjoy a few extra days of rest.
Seeding in the West is razor-thin, and every win down the stretch carries weight. There’s recent history to consider. When the Lakers and Thunder met three times last season, OKC walked away with two of them, including a key win down the stretch in Oklahoma.
That sting has not been forgotten. These are the games that shape rivalries.
More than that, facing the defending champs twice in a short time span gives the Lakers a rare strategic advantage: a live scouting report. If these two teams end up crossing paths again in May or June, those late-season battles might be the blueprint for what works and what does not
Can the Lakers contain Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Can Luka Doncic find his rhythm against OKC’s relentless defenders? Can the supporting cast step up when the stars are swarmed?
These are not just hypothetical questions. We will start getting real answers in those two final showdowns.