The Los Angeles Lakers have taken care of business, and now it’s time to rest.
After clinching the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with a win over the Houston Rockets on Friday, April 11, the Lakers head into their regular-season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers with no weight on their shoulders.
Will Luka Dončić and Others Suit Up Against the Portland Trail Blazers?
Unsurprisingly, Los Angeles announced that several of its starters — including LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith — will be rested and out for the Lakers’ final regular-season game vs. Portland.
With NBA playoff implications no longer on the line, the Lakers are looking forward to allowing their superstars some rest and recovery time after a grueling March and April schedule. Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs will take place at Crypto.com Arena next weekend, giving the team more than a week to recharge.
For Dončić, the time off is more than a welcome break before the intensity of the playoffs ramps up.
“Big time, big time,” said Dončić when asked about the extra rest. “But I gotta get some rest obviously, but you know, the good part of the season is coming, so I gotta stay ready, gotta stay locked in, but for sure, it’s gonna be great.”
The Lakers’ final push for the No. 3 seed has also earned them home-court advantage for at least the first round — something that Dončić is also especially excited about.
“Very important. It’s going to be my first time having home-court advantage, so I’m really excited about it,” he said following the win over Houston. “That was our goal. Looking back, maybe five or six games, our goal was to lock up the third seed.”
Since the blockbuster trade from the Dallas Mavericks, Dončić has averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in his 28 games wearing a purple and gold uniform. Remarkably, those numbers are actually down from his season average with Dallas in the 2023-2024 season, when the superstar nearly averaged a triple-double with 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds.
There will be no doubt that these extra days of rest will be paramount for the Lakers’ stars. As they prepare for their long-awaited playoff run, all eyes will be on Dončić’s first postseason run with Los Angeles. And if the past is any indication, he will not disappoint.
Can he lead LA to the NBA Finals like he did with Dallas last season?