A Hall of Fame showdown marks the start of a first-round NBA Playoffs series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, which begins Saturday night in LA. The game is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT) with TV coverage on ABC and streaming on-demand.
The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are facing off in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs, with Game 1 up next.
How to watch Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
- Venue: Crypto.com Arena
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- TV: ABC
- Streaming (in-market viewers): Fubo
A star-studded 4 vs. 5 matchup in the Western Conference of the 2026 NBA playoffs will see the Los Angeles Lakers face the Houston Rockets. Game 1 takes place on Saturday. LeBron James will face a Rockets team without Kevin Durant (knee). The fourth-seeded Lakers (53-29) have won three straight games, despite the absences of Luka Doncic (out, hamstring) and Austin Reaves (out, oblique). The No. 5 Rockets (52-30) have won nine of their last 10 games entering the NBA playoffs 2026. This will be the first postseason meeting between the franchises since 2020.
Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The Lakers won two of three regular-season meetings. The latest Lakers vs. Rockets odds from FanDuel Sportsbook have Houston as a 2.5-point favorite, while the over/under for total points scored is 208.5.
