Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant didn’t play against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the first round. Whether he will play in Game 2 is still “up in the air,” according to recent reports.
The 37-year-old forward suffered a right knee contusion during practice earlier this week and having missed the opening game, any potential comeback might be delayed.
Kevin Durant’s Injury May Be More Serious Than Anticipated
ESPN NBA insider Sham Charania reported that Durant injured his knee following a knee-to-knee collision with a teammate, resulting in a deep bruise to the patella tendon area. He was initially listed as questionable but was out before the Rockets took to the court in L.A.
This is something that causes discomfort right above the knee and while not described as a major injury, Durant’s mobility has been impacted. This wasn’t a case of playing through pain, and he is officially a game-time decision for Tuesday’s Game 2.
The absence was felt immediately. Houston struggled offensively without its best player in Game 1 and couldn’t overcome a Lakers team without two of their main scoring options. This timing couldn’t be worse.
GettyHOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 10: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half at Toyota Center on April 10, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
There is a sense of optimism that Durant will play some part of the series, however, experts like Dr. Evan Jeffries, a physical therapist and NBA injury analyst, say that it could be more than a simple bruise.
“Contact directly with the tendon can cause a bruise but it can also cause an ‘acute tendonitis,” Jeffries wrote in an X post. “This can cause pain, swelling, and lack of range of motion.”
The Rockets could be dealing with something that limits Durant’s effectiveness even if he tries to shake it off and play.
Durant has had a documented history of lower-body injuries. The ruptured Achilles tendon he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals with the Golden State Warriors was perhaps the most notable. That injury wiped out his entire 2019-20 season and forced him into a tough road back due to rehab.
In Brooklyn and even Phoenix, he had some setbacks that saw him miss games but overall Durant on first glance is a durable player. Even at 37, he missed just four of 82 regular-season games this season.
What This Injury Means for the Rockets
The bad news for Houston is that lower-body injuries can linger for some time even though they may not always look serious.
Judging from the Rockets’ Game 1 showing, they will benefit from Durant’s presence if they want to pull through this series. They scored below 100 points against a Lakers team without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, which is worrying.
This is last year all over again — a decent regular season followed by a postseason fumble.
Last year it was against the Golden State Warriors from the play-in and this year, if the situation doesn’t change it will be a shorthanded Lakers team.
They pulled a lot of strings to bring in Durant for these moments and having to be uncertain about his health in the most unusual way is frustrating.
A prolonged absence would be devastating to say the least. Even if Durant returns any less than 100%, the Rockets risk playing catch-up, and if the tendonitis diagnosis proves accurate and sidelines him beyond a week or two, Houston’s season could effectively be over before it really begins.
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