The 2024-25 NBA regular season just kicked off, but the Los Angeles Lakers are already facing battles that could define their postseason seeding. Having defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles will return to the court on Friday, October 25 to face another title contender: The rival Phoenix Suns.
It’s understandable to find it difficult to put too much stock into a game in October, but this is the rare example of an essential early-season encounter.
Los Angeles will host the Suns on Friday and then travel to Phoenix for a rematch on Monday, October 28. There are four scheduled games between the teams overall, with the others transpiring on November 26, 2024, and March 16, 2025.
For two teams in similar positions with top-heavy rosters that will depend on their 30-plus stars staying healthy, each of those outings could directly impact postseason seeding.
A season ago, the Suns secured the No. 6 seed in the NBA at 49-33, while the Lakers weren’t too far behind at 47-35. It was an accurate depiction of how close both teams were to the 50-win pace despite the injuries their respective rosters endured.
In 2024-25, there’s reason to believe the Lakers and Suns will have similar records once again—making every game between them essential to deciding a potential tiebreak.
Lakers vs. Suns could have direct postseason implications
An early victory for Los Angeles would provide a leg up on its competition as far as postseason seeding is concerned. The fact that it’ll play Phoenix again just three days later, only this time on the road, heightens the importance of a game that may have otherwise been written off as a mere early test.
The Lakers may not win both of the battles with their rival, but they must at least secure a 1-1 split to ensure they can win the season series in November and March.
Falling behind 0-2 would leave no margin for error as Los Angeles competes with Phoenix for a higher seed. It’d also give the Suns an early advantage in the race for the better record, but that deficit could be far more easily overcome.
The Lakers and Suns are simply too similar to pretend they won’t be in a similar position come the 2024 NBA Playoffs—health permitting, of course.
Beyond the long-term concerns, this will be an early test for the Lakers after an impressive regular season opener. Los Angeles held Minnesota to 41.2 percent shooting from the field and a mark of 31.7 percent from beyond the arc, but Phoenix won’t be as easily stifled.
Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and Kevin Durant are all healthy, and Phoenix is coming off of an opener during which he buried 15 three-point field goals and shot 48.7 percent from the field.
With a return date still unclear for Jarred Vanderbilt, the quality of the Lakers’ perimeter defense will be put to the test. Not only will Los Angeles have to come up with answers for Beal, Booker, and Durant, but also Tyus Jones, who posted 11 points and eight assists in Phoenix’s opener and shot 41.4 percent from three in 2023-24.
There will be more than enough time for Los Angeles to recover from a disappointing result, but the battle for the tiebreak could prove significant in the long run.
If it all goes their way, it may be what helps the Lakers avoid the Play-In Tournament.
