The Lakers are set for a packed schedule as they aim for playoff spots before the postseason.
As February concludes on Friday, the season will be 72% done. With the leading teams secured in their respective conferences, there are still critical outcomes to be decided in the last 44 days of the regular season.
Moreover, teams are preparing for the playoffs. Up to Thursday, Luka Dončić has only participated in six matches with the Los Angeles Lakers, De’Andre Hunter has seen seven games with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Jimmy Butler has appeared in eight for the Golden State Warriors. Following his injury, Anthony Davis is expected to play just one game for the Dallas Mavericks upon his return.
This indicates that the remaining 28% of the season is crucial not only for playoff seeding but also for preparation for postseason play.
Upcoming Schedule Overview — March and April
Below is a summary of each team’s remaining games, listed from the toughest to the easiest based on the cumulative winning percentage of their opponents:
Note: A “rest advantage” game means one team played the previous day while the other did not. As of Thursday, the record for teams in rest-advantage scenarios is 124-88 (.585), with home teams at 69-44 (.611) and road teams at 55-44 (.556).
East Conference Highlights
- The Hawks have a significant six-game homestand from March 4-14, starting with a match against the Pacers.
- The Celtics benefit from the league’s third-easiest schedule, hosting several prominent games during a seven-game homestand.
- The Bulls have the fewest home games remaining but have the highest number of rest advantage games.
West Conference Insights
- The Lakers will face a demanding lineup, featuring seven games in 10 days from March 13-22.
- The Suns have the toughest schedule remaining based on the cumulative winning percentage of their opponents, facing the most challenging competition.
- The Wolves have the easiest remaining schedule left, with only a handful of matches against teams above .500.
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
The opinions here do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its teams, or Warner Bros. Discovery.
