Kevin Durant's Knee Has the Rockets Sweating Before Game 2, and Houston Knows It

The Houston Rockets took a brutal Game 1 loss to the Lakers without their best player, and now Kevin Durant is a game-time call for Game 2. The 37-year-old star went through about half of Houston's practice on Monday and will be evaluated right up until tipoff on Tuesday night, according to coach Ime Udoka.

Durant suffered a knee injury during practice on Wednesday and missed Saturday's Game 1 entirely. The Rockets lost that one 107-98 to L.A., and you could feel his absence all over the stat sheet. Houston shot less than 40% from the field and still managed to take 27 more shots than the Lakers. That's the kind of inefficiency that gets you bounced in the playoffs real fast.

The Injury Isn't Catastrophic, But the Timing is Brutal

Here's the good news: imaging on Durant's knee showed no structural damage. Udoka called it "hopefully a one-game thing" heading into Saturday's matchup. But here's the reality check. Durant averaged a team-high 26 points per game during the regular season. He's the engine that makes this Rockets offense run, and you saw what happens when he's not there. A one-game absence looked bad. A second-game absence could mean dropping into a 0-2 hole heading to Houston.

Tuesday Night Could Define This Series

Game 2 tips at 10:30 p.m. ET in Los Angeles. If Durant plays, the Rockets have a legitimate chance to even this series and get one back home. If he doesn't, Houston has to find a way to steal one on the road against a team that's already proven it can win without needing perfection.

The next 24 hours will tell us everything we need to know about this first-round matchup.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.