Why Kevin Durant isn't playing tonight for Rockets with tough injury news
A brutal break for Houston.
Why Kevin Durant isn't playing tonight for Rockets with tough injury news originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Kevin Durant is missing in action again.
For the second time in three Houston Rockets playoff games against the Los Angeles Lakers , Durant has been ruled out. When the Lakers try to expand on their 2-0 series lead on Friday night, Durant won't be taking part. It's a brutal injury break for KD and the Rockets.
Why isn't Kevin Durant playing tonight? Durant is out on Friday night because of an ankle sprain he sustained in Game 2 of the series. "String of bad luck for Durant -- tendon bruise suffered in practice that sidelined him for Game 1, now an ankle sprain suffered in Game 2 holding him out following swelling and around-clock treatment -- after being healthy all season," wrote ESPN's Shams Charania on X .
KD's absence forces the Rockets to rely more heavily on Reed Sheppard. "With Durant sidelined, the Rockets are expected to utilize the second-youngest starting lineup in NBA playoff history -- their homegrown core of Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun," Charania wrote on X.