5 brutal matchups for Lakers in final 21 regular season games featuring 4 grueling back-to-backs
The LA Lakers deserve credit for pulling off an eight-game winning streak and climbing to the no. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings. Things, however, won't get any easier for them in their last 21 regular season games.
A couple of bitter playoff rivals, some top-10 defensive teams, and a recent trade partner with an ax to grind all await the Lakers over the next few weeks. It doesn't help that the purple and gold squad have four back-to-back games in this final stretch — and some of these matchups are situated in the second game of a back-to-back.
Boston Celtics - Mar. 8
Though the Lakers have knocked off the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks during their current winning streak, a high-profile litmus test comes their way on Mar. 9 when they take on the Boston Celtics. Top two in offensive rating and top five in defensive rating, the defending champions will push the Lakers in a way they haven't been since their blockbuster acquisition of Luka Doncic.
Milwaukee Bucks - Mar. 13 & 20
The Bucks have a winning streak — it has stretched to four at this point — and are establishing themselves as a threat in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Milwaukee's top-nine defensive rating is another tough challenge for the Lakers in the coming weeks, and their Mar. 20 showdown at Crypto.com Arena happens to be the second game of a back-to-back.
Denver Nuggets - Mar. 14 & 19
While the Lakers-Celtics rivalry goes back decades, the rivalry between the Lakers and the Nuggets is a more recent back-and-forth that's picked up in intensity as well. The two Western Conference titans have split their season series thus far, and their two matchups in March might be a precursor to even more heated duels in the playoffs.
OKC Thunder - Apr. 6 & 8
On Friday's episode of "First Take," Stephen A. Smith claimed that only the OKC Thunder could take down this current iteration of the Lakers. By multiple metrics, the young Thunder squad has proven to be the best defensive team throughout the 2024-25 season. For the Lakers to solidify their statement as a 2025 title contender, they'll have to perform at an elite level against the Thunder on two occasions in April.
Dallas Mavericks - Apr. 9
With Kyrie Irving going down due to a season-ending ACL injury, the Mavericks' playoff hopes have become rather bleak at this point. Still, there's a possibility that Anthony Davis will be suiting up to make Dallas a potential spoiler for playoff-bound teams. This could be the only chance this season for AD in a Mavs jersey to meet Luka Doncic in a Lakers uniform, and it comes as the second game of the Lakers' final back-to-back.