NBA
How many times have the Lakers been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs?
The LA Lakers are the most successful NBA franchise and had their fair share in playoff history. Have they ever been stopped in the opening round?
To put it bluntly, it’s rare for anyone to root for a team that consistently loses. That’s why the LA Lakers are widely admired - their impressive track record. The team has clinched a record-equalling 17 NBA Championships, placing them on par with the Boston Celtics. Additionally, the Lakers have made more Finals appearances than any other NBA team, with 32 showings.
In summary, the Lakers are considered one of the most accomplished teams in NBA history! The iconic purple and gold shades are hard to miss, and numerous players from the franchise have become household names.
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Although being ousted in the opening round would be deemed a letdown for the perennial champions, the Lakers have experienced their fair share of early departures. Specifically, the team has stumbled in the initial round several times throughout its illustrious history.
First-round playoff failures
Since the first (opening) round of the NBA playoff series was introduced for all seeded teams in 1984, the Lakers were stopped seven times throughout postseason history.
1991-1992 vs. Trail Blazers
In the 1991-92 NBA campaign, the Lakers marked their 44th season in the NBA and their 32nd in Los Angeles. This season they have heralded the beginning of a fresh chapter for the Los Angeles-based squad following a loss to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals, a series that lasted five games. Moreover, this was also the season when their longstanding superstar, Magic Johnson, abruptly retired from the game after announcing that he had contracted HIV.
The Lakers, who were eight-seeded in the Western Conference, suffered a loss in the opening round of the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers, with the series closing at 3-1 in favor of the Trail Blazers. Subsequently, the Trail Blazers lost in six games to the reigning champions, the Chicago Bulls, in the NBA Finals.
1992-1993 vs. Suns
During the opening round of the playoffs in the Western Conference, the Lakers managed to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series against regular season MVP Charles Barkley and his top-seeded Phoenix Suns. Nonetheless, they couldn’t sustain the momentum and ultimately lost the series in five games, including a crucial Game 5 that was lost in overtime on the road by a score of 112-104.
As a result, the Suns later progressed to the NBA Finals but were defeated by the two-time reigning champions, the Chicago Bulls, in six games.
1995-1996 vs. Rockets
Despite their efforts, the Lakers fell short in the opening round of the playoffs against the 5th-seeded Houston Rockets, who were also the two-time defending champions. The series concluded in a 4-0 sweep in favor of the Rockets. After this defeat, Magic Johnson announced his retirement from the game, marking his second and final departure from professional basketball.
As the season drew close, the Lakers traded Divac to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Kobe Bryant, a promising high school basketball prodigy who would later become a basketball legend.
2005-2006 vs. Suns
Securing a third place in the Pacific Division and earning the seventh seed in the Western Conference, the Lakers ended their season on a disappointing note, being ousted in the opening round of the playoffs by the Phoenix Suns in a closely contested seven-game series. Although initially taking a 3-1 lead in the series, the Lakers could not maintain their momentum and ultimately fell to the Suns.
2006-2007 vs. Suns
The Lakers secured the second spot in the Pacific Division and entered the playoffs as the 7th seed. Despite the impressive performance of their captain, Bryant, who led the NBA in scoring with 31.6 points per game, the Lakers suffered a five-game defeat at the hands of the Suns.
This marked the second successive season in which the Lakers had their season prematurely terminated by the Suns.
2012-2013 vs. Spurs
During the 80th game of the season, Kobe Bryant sustained a torn Achilles tendon that forced him to end his season prematurely. Nevertheless, the Lakers secured a spot in the playoffs on the final day of the regular season by defeating the Houston Rockets, finishing with a record of 45-37 and securing the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Yet, their playoff journey was short-lived, as they were swept in four games by the San Antonio Spurs, who eventually became the Western Conference champions.
This marked the second occurrence in three years that the Lakers suffered a playoff sweep.
2020-2021 vs. Suns
In a season plagued with injuries, the Lakers ended with a 42-30 record, equivalent to the 48-34 of the 5th-ranked Mavericks and 6th-ranked Trail Blazers. However, due to tiebreakers, they slipped to 7th place, leading them to face the 8th-ranked Warriors in the play-in tournament. They defeated the Warriors, securing the 7th seed in the playoffs but losing home-court advantage in the first round for the first time in Lebron James’s career.
During the opening round against the Phoenix Suns, they were leading 2-1 until Davis suffered a strained groin in Game 4. The Lakers ultimately lost the series in six games.