Kevin Durant Sidelined by Knee Injury as Rockets Drop Playoff Opener to Lakers

The Houston Rockets began their Western Conference first-round playoff series with a 107-98 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, April 18. The Rockets were without star forward Kevin Durant, who missed the game due to a right knee contusion. Both teams entered the contest shorthanded, with the Lakers also missing key contributors Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

The Details

Luke Kennard provided the offensive spark for the Lakers, scoring a playoff career-high 27 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including five three-pointers. LeBron James contributed 19 points and 13 assists, while Deandre Ayton added 19 points and 11 rebounds to the 107-98 victory at Crypto.com Arena.\n\nThe Rockets struggled with efficiency, shooting just 37.6% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. In contrast, Los Angeles shot 60.6% from the field. Despite the shooting disparity, Houston remained competitive by dominating second-chance points, outscoring the Lakers 23-6 in that category.\n\nWith Durant unavailable, Houston utilized a starting lineup featuring Reed Sheppard, Josh Okogie, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun. Marcus Smart, a recent acquisition for the Lakers, added 15 points and 8 assists off the bench, though he struggled from the free-throw line, converting only two of six attempts.\n\nDurant's absence follows a practice incident on Wednesday, April 15, where he bumped knees with a teammate. Rockets coach Ime Udoka noted that Durant hit the knee in an awkward spot above the patella tendon. While imaging showed no major structural damage, the area remained tender and difficult to bend.\n\nDurant attempted to warm up before the tip-off on Saturday but ultimately determined he was not fit to play. The 37-year-old forward has been a cornerstone for the Rockets this season, averaging 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game across 78 regular-season contests.

Context

This marks the first postseason run for Kevin Durant since joining the Rockets via a trade from the Phoenix Suns during the 2025 offseason. Durant, the NBA's fifth-leading scorer of all time, had previously displayed remarkable durability this season, missing only one game prior to this injury.\n\nThe series pits the Rockets, the 5th seed in the Western Conference, against the 4th-seed Lakers. Both franchises are navigating significant health challenges at the start of the series. Los Angeles is dealing with Grade 2 strains for both Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique), injuries sustained during a game against Oklahoma City on April 2.\n\nLakers coach JJ Redick has stated that both Doncic and Reaves are out indefinitely, leaving the Lakers' backcourt thin but currently efficient. Meanwhile, the Rockets are attempting to integrate their depth while waiting for the return of their leading scorer.

What's Next

The Rockets are hopeful that Durant's absence will be limited to a single game. The series moves to Game 2 on Tuesday, providing Durant with 72 additional hours of recovery time from Saturday's attempted warmup.\n\nIf Durant is unable to return for Game 2, Houston will need to find a way to improve their shooting percentages and leverage their advantage in second-chance points to avoid falling 0-2 in the series. For the Lakers, the focus remains on maintaining their high shooting efficiency while managing the indefinite absences of Doncic and Reaves.