Lakers to Open Postseason Play Thursday

The Lakers have known who for the last several weeks, now they have found out the when: They will open the NBA playoffs next week against the Houston Rockets with games at the Forum on Thursday night at 7:30 and Saturday afternoon at 12:30.

The rest of the schedule has not been released. What is certain is that the best-of-five series, with a 2-2-1 format, will shift to Houston for Game 3 and, if necessary, Game 4. If a deciding fifth game is needed, it will be back at the Forum.

Houston won the season series, 3-1, but the Lakers earned homecourt advantage in the first round by virtue of their fourth-place finish in the Western Conference. They made a run at No. 3 into the final week of the season, but the Utah Jazz clinched that spot, and a matchup with Portland, on Thursday night.

Because the Lakers end the season with back-to-back games, tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Forum and Sunday night at Portland, they don’t plan to work out Monday, but are scheduled to watch film and have a team dinner. That will leave only two days of practice before Game 1.

The Rockets play only once in these last three days of the regular season, Sunday afternoon at home.