The Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers are scheduled to meet twice during the 2026-27 NBA regular season. The Lakers will host Cleveland on March 12, 2027, at Crypto.com Arena, followed by a March 25 meeting at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The teams split their two games in 2025-26, with each winning once.
Key Takeaways
- The Lakers and Cavaliers play twice in the 2026-27 regular season.
- The first meeting is March 12, 2027, in Los Angeles at 10:00 p.m. ET.
- The second meeting is March 25, 2027, in Cleveland at 7:00 p.m. ET.
- The teams split their 2025-26 season series, 1-1.
- Through the end of 2025-26, the Lakers lead the all-time regular-season series 71-56.
Lakers vs Cavaliers: 2026-27 Schedule
The 2026-27 NBA schedule gives the Lakers and Cavaliers two regular-season meetings. Because the two teams play in different conferences, their regular-season meetings are limited compared with teams in the same conference.
The first game is scheduled for Friday, March 12, 2027, when the Cavaliers visit the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The NBA schedule lists a 10:00 p.m. ET start, with the game available through League Pass.
The teams meet again less than two weeks later. On Thursday, March 25, 2027, the Lakers travel to Cleveland for a 7:00 p.m. ET game at Rocket Arena. The NBA’s official game page confirms the date, location, and matchup.
| Date | Matchup | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 12, 2027 | Cavaliers at Lakers | Crypto.com Arena | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| March 25, 2027 | Lakers at Cavaliers | Rocket Arena | 7:00 p.m. ET |
The 2026-27 regular season begins in October 2026, but these Lakers-Cavaliers meetings do not arrive until March. The NBA released the complete regular-season schedule in August 2026.
Lakers vs Cavaliers: 2025-26 Results
The previous season provides the most recent completed sample between these teams.
January 28, 2026
The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 129-99 in Cleveland. The 30-point result was one of the more decisive recent games between the teams.
March 31, 2026
The Lakers answered in the second meeting, defeating Cleveland 127-113 at home.
Luka Dončić scored 42 points and added 12 assists in that game, while Deandre Ayton scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The Lakers’ victory evened the season series at 1-1.
That means neither team held the season-series advantage in 2025-26:
| Season | Lakers Wins | Cavaliers Wins |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1 | 1 |
The two results also show why looking only at one recent game can give an incomplete picture of this matchup.
Lakers vs Cavaliers Head-to-Head Record
The Lakers have the historical edge in the regular-season series.
Through the end of the 2025-26 season, Los Angeles had a 71-56 record against Cleveland over 127 regular-season meetings. That gives the Lakers 71 wins and the Cavaliers 56.
The recent history has been more balanced than the full historical record suggests. Cleveland won both meetings in 2024-25, while Los Angeles went 2-0 against Cleveland in 2023-24. The teams then split their two meetings in 2025-26.
Here is the recent series:
| Season | Lakers | Cavaliers |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023-24 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 0 | 2 |
| 2021-22 | 2 | 0 |
This alternating pattern is useful context for anyone searching for the Lakers vs Cavaliers head-to-head record. The all-time numbers favor Los Angeles, but the recent season-by-season results have moved in both directions.
Have the Lakers and Cavaliers Ever Met in the Playoffs?
No. The Lakers and Cavaliers have never faced each other in an NBA playoff series, including the NBA Finals. Their head-to-head history consists of regular-season meetings.
That is an important distinction because both franchises have long playoff histories, but they have played in different conferences throughout their NBA histories.
The Lakers are part of the Western Conference, while the Cavaliers compete in the Eastern Conference. For them to meet in the NBA Finals, both teams would first have to advance through their respective conferences in the same postseason.
Lakers vs Cavaliers: What Makes the Matchup Interesting?
The matchup brings together two franchises with very different geographic and conference identities.
The Lakers play their home games at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, while the Cavaliers play at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The two teams therefore see each other less often than conference rivals.
The 2025-26 season also showed how different individual games can be. Cleveland won the January meeting by 30 points, while Los Angeles won the March rematch by 14 points.
The 2026-27 schedule creates another interesting setup because the teams meet twice in March. Los Angeles gets the first home game on March 12 before traveling to Cleveland for the second meeting on March 25.
For fans checking the matchup, the most useful information to monitor closer to game day will be the official starting lineups, player availability, team records, and the final injury reports. Those details can change considerably between the time a schedule is released and the actual game.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the next Lakers vs Cavaliers game?
The next scheduled Lakers vs Cavaliers game in the 2026-27 regular season is March 12, 2027, when Cleveland visits Los Angeles. The game is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena.
Who won the last Lakers vs Cavaliers game?
The Lakers won the most recent meeting, beating the Cavaliers 127-113 on March 31, 2026, in Los Angeles. Luka Dončić scored 42 points and had 12 assists in the game.
What is the Lakers’ all-time record against the Cavaliers?
Through the end of the 2025-26 regular season, the Lakers were 71-56 against the Cavaliers in 127 regular-season meetings.
How many times do the Lakers and Cavaliers play in 2026-27?
They are scheduled to play twice during the 2026-27 regular season. The first game is March 12 in Los Angeles, and the second is March 25 in Cleveland.
Have the Lakers and Cavaliers met in the NBA Finals?
No. The Lakers and Cavaliers have never met in an NBA playoff series or NBA Finals matchup. Their meetings have been regular-season games.
Conclusion
The Lakers vs Cleveland Cavaliers matchup has a long regular-season history, with Los Angeles holding a 71-56 all-time advantage through 2025-26. More recently, however, the teams have traded wins. They split their two meetings in 2025-26, with Cleveland winning 129-99 in January and Los Angeles responding with a 127-113 victory in March.
The next chapter comes in the 2026-27 season. The Cavaliers visit the Lakers on March 12, 2027, before Los Angeles travels to Cleveland on March 25. Fans looking for the latest Lakers vs Cavaliers information should check the official NBA schedule and game pages closer to each matchup for updated times, availability, and game details.
Samuel T. Brooks.I am presented as a calm and knowledgeable English language expert with a sharp focus on vocabulary and synonyms. My profile image reflects clarity, trust, and academic confidence. The book-lined background and natural lighting give a scholarly yet friendly impression, ideal for an educational English content platform.
