1819schedule

Joey Ramirez

The Lakers may only have five regular-season games left in April, but they are jammed with quality opponents.

Golden State, of course, has won three championships in four years. Portland, Oklahoma City and Utah were seeded third through fifth, respectively, in last season’s Western Conference playoffs. The Clippers missed the postseason by five games.

Fortunately for the Lakers, this gauntlet will at least take place mostly at home, as the purple and gold play their final four games in Los Angeles heading into the playoffs.

AprilGames: 5Home: 3Away: 2National TV: 2Playoff Opponents: 4Back-to-Backs: 1Home Opponents: Golden State, Utah, PortlandRoad Destinations: Oklahoma City, Clippers

April 4 vs. Golden State (7:30 p.m. PT; TNT)
The Warriors — with their DeMarcus Cousins-infused, five-all-star starting lineup — are the Goliath of the upcoming postseason. The Lakers will get one last chance to test their strength against the defending champs in the regular season.

April 7 vs. Utah (6:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
The 2017 Draft was exceptionally loaded with talent, including the Lakers’ three-headed monster of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart, as well as Utah’s young star, Donovan Mitchell. We’ll see how much progress has been made over their sophomore year in the penultimate game of the regular season.

April 9 vs. Portland (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
The Lakers’ regular season comes full circle, as they close with their opening night foes: the Trail Blazers. With the Western Conference stacked at historic levels, even game 82 could determine seeding for these two playoff contenders.

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2018-19 Lakers Schedule Breakdown: April

The Lakers could use March to build some momentum heading into the playoffs, as only seven of their 16 opponents made last year’s postseason.

However, that does not mean L.A. will be able to coast, as the slate includes formidable foes, like Boston and Milwaukee (twice), plus clubs that just barely missed the playoffs, such as Denver and Detroit.

The Pistons are also part of a season-high five straight road games packed into only eight days, culminating with a trip to the NBA’s newest arena: the Bucks’ Fiserv Forum.

MarchGames: 16Home: 8Away: 8National TV: 6Playoff Opponents: 7Back-to-Backs: 3Home Opponents: Milwaukee, Clippers, Denver, Boston, Brooklyn, Sacramento, Washington, CharlotteRoad Destinations:  Phoenix, Chicago, Toronto, Detroit, New York, Milwaukee, Utah, New Orleans

March 1 vs. Milwaukee (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN)
LeBron James won his first MVP trophy in 2009, and has arguably been the Eastern Conference’s best player every year since. Now that the King is in the West, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the young stars trying to take up James’ mantle as alpha of the East.

March 9 vs. Boston (5:30 p.m. PT; ABC)
The archrival Celtics make their lone trip of the season to the Lakers’ court. It took seven games for LeBron’s Cavaliers to dispatch Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals, and now the C’s come reloaded with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward healthy again.

March 17 at New York (9 a.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
There’s nothing like the Lake Show’s annual trip to the World’s Most Famous Arena. The NBA’s best shine brightest at Madison Square Garden, meaning this is a must-watch wake-up call for those on the West Coast.

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2018-19 Lakers Schedule Breakdown: March

After closing January with the season’s longest homestand, the Lakers will immediately begin February with a season-long 11-day, five-game road trip.

They may begin that voyage in Oakland, but the remaining four contests will all take place in the East, leading into All-Star Weekend in Charlotte.

Several Lakers should be prepared to stay on the opposite coast — be it for the All-Star Game or Rising Stars Challenge — including LeBron James, Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma.

FebruaryGames: 9Home: 2Away: 7National TV: 5Playoff Opponents: 7Back-to-Backs: 0Home Opponents: Houston, New OrleansRoad Destinations: Golden State, Indiana, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, New Orleans, Memphis

Feb. 5 at Indiana (4 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
One of the biggest surprises of the playoffs was how close the Pacers came to knocking out the LeBron-led Cavaliers in the first round. But James averaged 34.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists to will his team to a seven-game series win.

Feb. 7 at Boston (5 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet and TNT)
The greatest rivalry in the history of basketball just got better. LeBron and the Lakers will take on a Celtics squad led by James’ championship-winning wingman, Kyrie Irving.

Feb. 10 at Philadelphia (12:30 p.m. PT; ABC)
Last season, the Lakers and Sixers young cores went at it in two battles that came down to the very end. Toss in the arrival of LeBron, and this already gripping matchup is even more must-see.

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2018-19 Lakers Schedule Breakdown: February

The country’s eyes will be all over the Lakers in January, when more than half of their games will be aired on national TV.

It’s no surprise that this month is so popular, considering that the Lakers will face nine opponents who made last year’s playoffs, including Golden State, Houston and Philadelphia.

Fortunately for the Lakers, January ends with the season’s longest homestand: 11 straight days in L.A. for five contests (including a Clippers home game).

JanuaryGames: 15Home: 9Away: 6National TV: 8Playoff Opponents: 9Back-to-Backs: 1Home Opponents: Oklahoma City, New York, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Golden State, Minnesota, Phoenix, PhiladelphiaRoad Destinations: Minnesota, Dallas, Utah, Oklahoma City, Houston, Clippers

Jan. 2 vs. Oklahoma City (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN)
The Lakers open up the new year by hosting the Thunder for the only time all season. Fans will surely be hyped when their hometown team takes on L.A. natives Russell Westbrook and Paul George.

Jan. 29 vs. Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. PT; TNT)
With the King now in L.A., the 76ers are now seeking to become the first non-LeBron James team to win the Eastern Conference since 2010 (back when the Celtics lost to the Lakers in the NBA Finals). There’s no shortage of star power, as James, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball face Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

Jan. 31 at LA Clippers (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
Clippers guards Lou Williams and Patrick Beverley have been making some noise this season by saying the Clippers are still the best team in L.A. LeBron and and Josh Hart (who dropped a career-high 30 points in last season’s finale against the Clips) will have a different answer.

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2018-19 Lakers Schedule Breakdown: January

As always, the December slate is highlighted by the Lakers’ annual Christmas Day game, and this one should be extra special.

The purple and gold will head north for the holidays to face the defending-champion Golden State Warriors in a game televised nationally on both ABC and ESPN.

The rest of the schedule will be much friendlier to the Lakers, who will face eight teams that missed the playoffs last year, including Phoenix and Sacramento (and their top-two draft picks).

DecemberGames: 15Home: 7Away: 8National TV: 4Playoff Opponents: 7Back-to-Backs: 3Home Opponents: Phoenix, San Antonio, Miami, New Orleans, Memphis, Clippers, SacramentoRoad Destinations: San Antonio, Memphis, Houston, Charlotte, Washington, Brooklyn, Golden State, Sacramento

Dec. 2 vs. Phoenix (12:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
L.A.’s home crowd will get its introduction to first-overall pick Deandre Ayton, who averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds at Arizona. He and Devin Booker could be a formidable duo, but the Suns haven’t forgotten when Lonzo Ball dropped a season-high 29 points (plus 11 boards and nine assists) on them a year ago.

Dec. 21 vs. New Orleans (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN)
Reunions all around. Rajon Rondo faces his former club for the first time, while Julius Randle makes his return to STAPLES Center after spending his first four seasons as a Laker.

Dec. 25 at Golden State (5 p.m. PT; ABC and ESPN)
For the fourth straight year, LeBron James will face off against the Warriors on Christmas Day. This will also be the first of four regular-season meetings between James’ new squad and the foe he has faced in four consecutive NBA Finals.

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2018-19 Lakers Schedule Breakdown: December

November is homecoming month for LeBron James, who will visit both of his former teams in a four-day stretch.

James and his new club will also be putting plenty of miles on their odometers, as they will play a season-high four back-to-backs this month.

However, clumping together games like that also allows for time to recover, as they will play six times on two days rest.

NovemberGames: 14Home: 8Away: 6National TV: 3Playoff Opponents: 8Back-to-Backs: 4Home Opponents: Toronto, Minnesota, Atlanta, Portland, Utah, Orlando, Indiana, DallasRoad Destinations: Portland, Sacramento, Orlando, Miami, Cleveland, Denver

Nov. 4 vs. Toronto (6:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
The two biggest moving stars this offseason — James and Kawhi Leonard — will duel for the first time as members of the Lakers and Raptors, respectively. These two have plenty of history, as they took turns winning NBA Finals MVP at the other’s expense in 2013 and 2014.

Nov. 18 at Miami (3 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet)
LeBron James returns to his former home city for the first time as a member of the purple and gold. It’s been four years since the “Heatles” era, but he still receives love in South Beach thanks to winning two MVPs and two Finals MVPs in just four years with Miami.

Nov. 21 at Cleveland (5 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN)
Three days after visiting his other old team, James will make his first appearance in Cleveland since joining the Lakers. Once villainized for leaving the Cavs nine years ago, LeBron will return as a hero after delivering four straight NBA Finals appearances, including the 2016 title.

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2018-19 Lakers Schedule Breakdown: November

One of the most anticipated Lakers seasons in recent history is set to begin, as the NBA has released an 82-game schedule packed with matchups against top-tier teams, particularly from the Western Conference.

Eyes from around the league will be on LeBron James and the new-look Lakers, as they start the season in Portland before debuting in front of the L.A. fans two days later.

Expect packed road arenas and an even crazier home atmosphere, as the first act begins between an iconic franchise and the world’s best player.

OctoberGames: 8Home: 4Away: 4Playoff Opponents: 5National TV Games: 3Back-to-Backs: 1Home Opponents: Houston, San Antonio, Denver, DallasRoad Destinations: Portland, Phoenix, San Antonio, Minnesota

Oct. 18 at Portland (7:30 p.m. PT; TNT)
The LeBron era will begin in unfriendly territory, as the Lakers open the season on the road for the first time in 13 years. This is a potential playoff preview, as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum present one of the league’s most explosive backcourts.

Oct. 20 vs. Houston (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN)
Speaking of star guards, they don’t come much better than James Harden and Chris Paul, who were one win away from reaching last year’s NBA Finals. But even their shine will be dulled by LeBron in his very first game in front of a roaring STAPLES Center home crowd.

Oct. 25 vs. Denver (7:30 p.m. PT; Spectrum SportsNet and TNT)
There was plenty of tension between the Lakers and Nuggets across four games last season, and these teams will get reacquainted early in the year. This time Jamal Murray’s crew will have to deal with the Lakers’ addition of James, while Isaiah Thomas has switched sides to Denver.

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2018-19 Lakers Schedule Breakdown: October

Rodrigo Azurmendi

EL SEGUNDO – El entusiasmo y la ansiedad se verán reflejados en la pantalla.

Y es que los Lakers – con la llegada de LeBron James, un grupo de veteranos con experiencia de campeonato, y uno de los núcleos jóvenes más prometedores de la liga – serán transmitidos por televisión nacional en 43 de sus 82 partidos.

Si, la cuenta es correcta: un 52.4 por ciento de los encuentros del conjunto lagunero podrá ser visto por todo el país.

Un total de 31 de ellos formarán parte del calendario de ABC, ESPN y TNT. Vale mencionar que el Juego de Navidad contra los Golden State Warriors en Oakland será televisado en simultáneo por ESPN y ABC.

Del 9 al 24 de enero, por ejemplo, los Lakers estarán en TV nacional en seis de ocho juegos – contra Detroit, Utah, OKC, Houston, Golden State y Minnesota.

Además, otros 12 encuentros irán por la pantalla de NBATV, asegurando una presencia constante para los pupilos de Luke Walton.

Recordemos que Spectrum SportsNet regresará en 2018-19 para una nueva temporada como el canal oficial de los Lakers.