DHJ Quick Take
- Injury and Absence: Kevin Durant missed Game 1 of the Rockets‘ playoff series against the Lakers due to a right knee injury sustained after colliding with a teammate during practice.
- Mobility Issues: Despite attempting to warm up before the game in Los Angeles, observers noted that Durant was not moving well on the court.
- Player Frustration: The veteran star is reportedly frustrated by the setback, which comes at a critical time in the postseason.
Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant is dealing with a right knee injury after bumping knees with a teammate in practice and didn’t play in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Durant warmed up before Game 1 in Los Angeles and didn’t move well, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. The future Hall of Famer, as expected, is frustrated by his knee injury.
“According to several people who watched his routine, his frustration with the brutally timed situation was impossible to miss,” Amick wrote. “Durant, who played in 78 games during the regular season and has long had a reputation for being willing to play through a fair amount of pain, was clearly coming to grips with the fact that he’d have to sit this playoff opener out. After banging knees with a teammate during practice on Wednesday, then surely hoping the injury wouldn’t linger too long, observers said he was not moving well during the session. He was ruled out soon thereafter.”
The Rockets lost Game 1 to the Lakers. It’s unknown if Durant will play in Game 2.
“It’s soreness. It’s very tender,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said before Game 1. “It’s tough to bend in certain ways. Not a lot of swelling. He hit it in a very awkward spot, I guess, more than anything. It could’ve been a regular bumped knee, and he would’ve played through that. But it was right above the knee, the patellar tendon area.”
During the regular season, Durant appeared in 78 games. He averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 52.0% from the field, 41.3% from beyond the arc and 87.4% from the free-throw line.
The Lakers are playing without Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique). Neither guard is expected to play in the Rockets series. However, with LeBron James, Luke Kennard and Deandre Ayton leading the way, the Lakers won Game 1 by a final score of 107-98.
If Durant doesn’t play in Game 2 or misses the entire series, the Lakers will likely beat the Rockets.
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