The Los Angeles Lakers have three days to rest and prepare for a bounce back game against the Houston Rockets that can push L.A. into Round 2 of the Western Conference playoffs, but the kicker is that Kevin Durant will benefit from that time off as well.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka kept open the door for Durant’s return to the series after he missed the past two games with a sprained ankle and bone bruise.
“Ime Udoka said there is still a possibility that Kevin Durant returns at some point this series,” Will Guillory of The Athletic reported following Houston’s Game 4 victory. “Just depends on how feels and if they can extend the series.”
Those comments could indicate that Udoka doesn’t expect Durant back for Game 5, as he spoke about Houston needing to “extend the series” in order for the superstar to return, which the team had already done once when Udoka made the statement.
Shams Charania of ESPN reported leading up to Game 4 that Durant would typically miss multiple weeks with the injury had he sustained it during the regular season.
“He’s had around-the-clock treatment to play, but has not been cleared by doctors,” Charania posted to X.
Durant suffered the injury during Game 2 on April 21. Game 4 will take place at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on April 29, eight days after the initial incident.
Austin Reaves Has Reasonable Chance to Return to Action for Lakers Against Rockets in Game 5
GettyAustin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Durant’s status is up in the air, the likelihood that Lakers star Austin Reaves can return for Game 5 is looking up.
Reaves has entered the lead-up to each of the past two outings as “questionable” due to the Grade 2 oblique strain he suffered on April 2, but ultimately did not play in either contest.
“I would tend to believe the Lakers are feeing better about Austin Reaves’ chances of being available for Game 5 in LA on Wednesday,” Brett Siegel of ClutchSports wrote on X. “He has not had any setbacks over the last week, as the team has been comfortable easing him and not rushing him back with how this series has gone.”
Come Game 5, which is now a relatively pivotal matchup, Reaves will be just one day shy of four weeks removed from straining his oblique against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets staved off elimination Sunday night without Durant, and if the team can win on the road in L.A., it will head back to Houston with a chance to even the series and force a deciding Game 7.
Lakers Star LeBron James Should Benefit From 3 Days Rest Between Games
GettyLeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James should also benefit significantly from the long stretch between outings, as the 41-year-old star had by far his least productive showing of the opening-round series on Sunday.
James scored just 10 points, adding nine assists, four rebounds and eight turnovers on 2-of-9 shooting.
“It started with me, obviously,” James said following the game, per ESPN, as he shouldered the blame for the team’s first loss of the postseason. “My turnovers were unacceptable.”
Lakers Get Telling Kevin Durant Injury News Before Closeout Game