HOUSTON – As the Houston Rockets look to even their first-round series in the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, the injury status of their star player remains uncertain.
On Monday, The Athletic’s Will Guillory reported that Kevin Durant returned to practice but is still considered a game-time decision for Game 2 on Tuesday night.
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Rockets’ Kevin Durant practices, will be game-time decision for Game 2 vs. Lakers https://t.co/qXXAJRVxsu via
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) April 20, 2026
Durant missed what would have been his playoff debut as a Rocket on Saturday after reportedly suffering a knee contusion during a collision with a teammate in practice last Wednesday.
The announcement of his unavailability came just hours before Game 1 tipped off, and his absence was clearly felt in Houston’s 107–98 loss.
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It wasn’t as if the Lakers were at full strength, either. In fact, Los Angeles was arguably more depleted in star power, playing without its two leading regular-season scorers—Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves.
The Rockets’ offense struggled mightily, shooting just 35-of-93 from the field. The Lakers, by contrast, were far more efficient, making 40 shots on just 66 attempts.
That disparity was also evident in the starting lineups. Four of Houston’s five starters shot between 30% and 40% from the field, with the lone exception being Josh Okogie, who made two of his four attempts.
Conversely, four of the Lakers’ five starters shot between 60% and 80%, with the lone outlier being Marcus Smart, who finished 5-for-12.
Durant’s impact is evident in numbers like these.
Not only is he an elite, efficient scorer, but his presence creates spacing opportunities for teammates, leading to higher-quality looks. That influence is reflected in his playmaking as well, as he ranked third on the Rockets in assists per game this season.
Game 2 will tip off at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 9:30 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock.
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