The No. 4 seed Los Angeles Lakers matched up against the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets on Saturday night, beginning their 2026 postseason run with a Western Conference clash at Crypto.com Arena.
Just over an hour before tipoff, the Rockets ruled out their superstar veteran Kevin Durant.
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Durant suffered a right knee contusion during a practice session on Wednesday, and was listed as questionable to suit up for Game 1 on Friday.
With Durant out, the pressure built for LeBron James and the Lakers to take care of business at home in Game 1.
Before the game, ESPN NBA analyst Shaquille O’Neal sent a clear warning to the Lakers.
“This is a must win for the Lakers with the Rockets’ No. 1 guy down” O’Neal said. “The question is who’s going to be that guy for the Lakers? We all expect LeBron to do it, but we can’t forget he’s 41 years old.”
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“The Lakers have to win tonight. Because without KD, the matchup is pretty even,” the NBA Hall of Famer continued. “The Lakers got to win this game tonight or else.”
While the Rockets are without Durant, the Lakers are without both of their top two scorers: Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Both Doncic and Reaves suffered regular-season ending injuries during a loss to the reigning-champion Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. Doncic is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, and Reaves is battling a Grade 2 oblique strain.
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Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Shaquille O’Neal looks on before the game between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
James, playing in his 23rd NBA season, will be asked to shoulder a heavier load with both of these star players out.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Apr 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.