Kevin Durant missed Game 3 of the first-round series between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers on Friday due to a left ankle sprain. This was the second game Durant missed in the series, which the Rockets now trail 3-0 after dropping a heartbreaker at home on the heels of consecutive road losses in Los Angeles.
The Rockets, after trailing for much of the game, had a six-point lead in the final 30 seconds of regulation — only to blow it with a pair of turnovers and an inexplicable foul. LeBron James drilled a 3-pointer with 13.6 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime. From there, the veteran Lakers seized control and pulled out a 112-108 victory despite a valiant effort from Alperen Sengun, who had 33 points and 16 rebounds in 47 minutes. But ultimately it wasn’t enough — and now the Rockets are staring down a potential sweep on Sunday. And whether Durant is back in the lineup for Game 4 remains to be seen.
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 reported Friday.
Durant dealt with swelling after that and was held out of Game 3 after going through pregame workouts. With Game 4 looming on Sunday and the Rockets one loss 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 missed Game 3, but was a game-time decision and could be back as soon as Game 4 from the strained oblique he suffered at the end of the regular season. With Luka Dončić recovering in the background as well, the Rockets are running out of time to take advantage of the Lakers while they’re vulnerable.
With Durant out, the Rockets leaned on the second-youngest starting five in playoff history: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Sengun. Despite building a roster with a number of veterans like Durant, Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet to supplement them, Houston bet its season on the young core it hopes can lead them not only through this series, but into the next several years.
Down the stretch in the fourth quarter on Friday, that group came up woefully short in what was a major opportunity to assert themselves as the future of this roster.
