Lakers vs. Rockets Playoffs Comparison: Summary and Year by Year

Here you can compare, side by side, the all-time postseason performance of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets, and how far these two NBA teams advanced in Playoffs each year.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been present in the NBA Playoffs 65 times in 77 seasons while the Houston Rockets did it 35 times in their 58 seasons. Between the two they total 19 of the 79 NBA championships (24.1%).

They have faced each other in 9 playoff series, 6 of them won by the Lakers and 3 by the Rockets.

On this page, after a summary of their Playoff history (with championships won, playoff appearances and all-time records), you can see, side by side, how far the Lakers and the Rockets advanced in the postseason each year. Also, if they met that year, a note with details of the outcome of the series.

Summary of Their Playoff History
	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
Playoff Appearances:	65 (84.4%)	35 (60.3%)
Playoffs Missed:	12 (15.6%)	23 (39.7%)
NBA Titles:	17	2
Finals Lost:	15	2
All-time Playoff Record:	466 wins 321 losses (.592)	161 wins 168 losses (.489)
Total NBA Seasons:	77 1948-49 to present	58 1967-68 to present

Teams Comparison Playoff Performances Year by Year
Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
2025	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2024	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	DNQ
2023	Lost Western Conference Finals	DNQ
2022	DNQ	DNQ
2021	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	DNQ
2020	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference Semis
	* The Lakers defeated the Rockets 4-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
2019	DNQ	Lost Western Conference Semis
2018	DNQ	Lost Western Conference Finals
2017	DNQ	Lost Western Conference Semis
2016	DNQ	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2015	DNQ	Lost Western Conference Finals
2014	DNQ	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2013	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2012	Lost Western Conference Semis	DNQ
2011	Lost Western Conference Semis	DNQ
2010	NBA Champions	DNQ

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
2009	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference Semis
	* The Lakers defeated the Rockets 4-3 in the Western Conference Semifinals.
2008	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2007	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2006	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	DNQ
2005	DNQ	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2004	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
	* The Lakers defeated the Rockets 4-1 in the Western Conference First Round.
2003	Lost Western Conference Semis	DNQ
2002	NBA Champions	DNQ
2001	NBA Champions	DNQ
2000	NBA Champions	DNQ

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
1999	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
	* The Lakers defeated the Rockets 3-1 in the Western Conference First Round.
1998	Lost Western Conference Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
1997	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Western Conference Finals
1996	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference Semis
	* The Rockets defeated the Lakers 3-1 in the Western Conference First Round.
1995	Lost Western Conference Semis	NBA Champions
1994	DNQ	NBA Champions
1993	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference Semis
1992	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	DNQ
1991	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
	* The Lakers defeated the Rockets 3-0 in the Western Conference First Round.
1990	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
	* The Lakers defeated the Rockets 3-1 in the Western Conference First Round.

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
1989	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
1988	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
1987	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference Semis
1986	Lost Western Conference Finals	Lost NBA Finals
	* The Rockets defeated the Lakers 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
1985	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
1984	Lost NBA Finals	DNQ
1983	Lost NBA Finals	DNQ
1982	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
1981	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost NBA Finals
	* The Rockets defeated the Lakers 2-1 in the Western Conference First Round.
1980	NBA Champions	Lost Eastern Conference Semis

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
1979	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Eastern Conference 1st Round
1978	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	DNQ
1977	Lost Western Conference Finals	Lost Eastern Conference Finals
1976	DNQ	DNQ
1975	DNQ	Lost Eastern Conference Semis
1974	Lost Western Conference Semis	DNQ
1973	Lost NBA Finals	DNQ
1972	NBA Champions	DNQ
1971	Lost Western Conference Finals	DNQ (as San Diego Rockets)
1970	Lost NBA Finals	DNQ (as San Diego Rockets)

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
1959	Lost NBA Finals (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1958	DNQ (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1957	Lost Western Division Finals (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1956	Lost Western Division Semis (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1955	Lost Western Division Finals (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1954	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1953	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1952	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1951	Lost Western Division Finals (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1950	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Houston Rockets
1949	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1948	-	-
1947	-	-