{"id":714548,"date":"2026-04-20T11:39:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T11:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/714548\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T11:39:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T11:39:51","slug":"lakers-face-unsettling-kevin-durant-injury-update-for-game-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/714548\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Face Unsettling Kevin Durant Injury Update for Game 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Kevin\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Kevin Durant reacts during action as the Rockets receive a positive injury update ahead of Game 1 against the Lakers.<\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t a ton of must-win openers in Round 1 of the NBA<\/a> playoffs, but Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> faced something close to one against the Houston Rockets<\/a> absent Kevin Durant<\/a> over the weekend.<\/p>\n

However, things may not be so simple on Tuesday, with Durant tracking toward suiting up to bolster what proved a hapless Houston offense to start the postseason.<\/p>\n

LeBron James<\/a>, Luke Kennard<\/a> and DeAndre Ayton<\/a> were able to get the job done behind an elite night of shooting from the top of the L.A. roster to the bottom, which included a 61 percent mark from the field and a 53 percent clip from behind the 3-point line.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Rockets made just 38 percent of their shot attempts<\/a> in Game 1, connecting on only 33 percent of tries from downtown. Durant drilled 52 percent<\/a> of his 17.6 field goal attempts nightly during the regular season and knocked down triples at a rate of 41.3 percent on nearly six heaves per outing.<\/p>\n

Los Angeles isn\u2019t healthy, with Luka Doncic<\/a> and Austin Reaves<\/a> both sidelined due to injuries. But even at full strength, the Lakers don\u2019t have a defender close to capable of shutting down Durant.<\/p>\n

A full team effort from L.A. with Durant as the primary focus might have a chance to trouble a him to some meaningful degree, and it appears the Lakers could find out as early as Tuesday night just how effective that sort of strategy can be.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Durant], from what I\u2019ve heard, there\u2019s a good chance he could return in Game 2,\u201d Ben DuBose of USA Today reported following Game 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rockets Have Not Confirmed Kevin Durant\u2019s Return for Game 2 Against Lakers\"\"<\/p>\n

GettyHead coach Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets.<\/p>\n

Durant suffered a knee contusion during practice last week, which caused enough pain to sideline him for Saturday\u2019s contest in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka<\/a> said prior to Game 1 that Durant is not dealing with a major injury, though Udoka declined to provide a timeline for the superstar\u2019s return.<\/p>\n

\u201cHopefully it\u2019s a one game thing,\u201d Udoka said<\/a>. \u201cBut he tried it out in practice, and it didn\u2019t feel good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given how poorly Houston played offensively on Saturday coupled with multiple reports of Durant\u2019s frustration during and after the loss, logic dictates he will play in Game 2 after another three days of rest and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

Rockets\u2019 Offense Should Improve Dramatically With Kevin Durant on Floor\"Fred<\/p>\n

GettyHouston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet.<\/p>\n

Durant recently described himself as \u201cthe offense\u201d for a Rockets team that has played all year without starting point guard and primary offensive facilitator Fred VanVleet<\/a>, who tore his ACL in September.<\/p>\n

In VanVleet\u2019s stead, Durant amassed a usage rate of 27.1 percent in his age-37 campaign and first season with the Rockets, during which the 16-time All-Star played 78 games \u2014 the most since he tallied 78 contests played for the Golden State Warriors<\/a> in 2018-19.<\/p>\n

Should Durant return to the floor Tuesday night, his presence is likely not only to increase the Rockets\u2019 offensive output and efficiency due to how much more of it will run through him than anyone else, but it should also create better looks for his teammates.<\/p>\n

The Lakers, meanwhile, have a chance to grab full control of the series by holding home court and heading to Houston up 2-0 despite the absences of both Doncic and Reaves, neither of whom yet has a clear timeline for return.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMax Dible<\/a> covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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