Kevin Durant will miss Game 3 of the first-round series between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers on Friday due to a left ankle sprain. This is the second game that Durant will miss in the series, which the Rockets trail 2-0 after consecutive road losses in Los Angeles.
Durant missed Game 1 against the Lakers due to a knee injury suffered last week in practice. He managed to make his way back onto the court for Game 2, and he scored 23 points, but his nine turnovers ultimately proved too much for the Rockets to endure. The Lakers double-teamed Durant relentlessly in Game 2, and he suffered the ankle sprain in the fourth quarter, Rockets coach Ime Udoka said Friday.
Durant dealt with swelling after that, and now he won’t be able to play in Game 3. With Game 4 looming on Sunday and the Rockets two losses away from elimination, Durant is dealing with a tight turnaround if he wants to make it back on the court in time to save Houston’s season.
Meanwhile, the Lakers appear to be headed in the other direction from a health perspective. Austin Reaves is a game-time decision as he attempts to recover from a Grade 2 oblique strain that he suffered late in the regular season. He will warm up before the team makes a final determination on his status.
With Durant out, the Rockets are expected to lean on the second-youngest starting five in playoff history: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun. Despite building a roster with a number of veterans like Durant, Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet to supplement them, Houston is betting its season on the young core it hopes can lead them not only through this series, but into the next several years.
With everything on the line, it’s a major opportunity for Houston’s young players to assert themselves as the future of this roster.
