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Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James during a matchup highlighting the star power and intensity of their playoff series.
With Kevin Durant sidelined, the Los Angeles Lakers secured a 107-98 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs on Saturday.
So, is Durant (knee soreness) expected to rejoin the Rockets for Game 2 on Tuesday?
In a concerning update, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka revealed Saturday that Durant was dealing with mobility issues, not just inflammation from a sore knee.
“It’s very tender, tough to bend certain ways,” Udoka said of Durant’s knee injury, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“He hit it in a very awkward spot, I guess, more than anything. If he had a regular bumped knee, I think he could kind of play through that. But right above the knee, the patellar tendon area, up there, it’s just very tender and sore.
“Pain tolerance is one thing, but actually limited movement is more the cause [of Durant being out].”
The ESPN report added that Durant tried to play in Game 1 against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena but could not endure the discomfort.
“Hopefully, it’s a one-game thing, but he tried it out just [a] short [time] ago and didn’t feel good enough,” Udoka said just moments before Game 1 on Saturday.
If Durant is unable to suit up for Game 2, the Lakers will be in a prime position to seize a 2-0 lead over a Rockets team that struggled to generate offense on Saturday. Ime Udoka’s team managed only 98 points despite taking 93 shots — 27 more field-goal attempts than the Lakers. Houston shot a paltry 38% from the floor and 33% from deep, with their starting backcourt of Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard shooting a combined 13-of-38 from the floor, including 5-of-15 from three-point range.
The Lakers reportedly prepared for Game 1 with Durant in their scouting report.
But their approach or game plan did not change when Durant was ruled out just minutes before tip off, as revealed by Lakers head coach JJ Redick.
“I don’t think it affected our mentality,” Redick said of Lakers playing a Rockets team without Durant in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
“Our guys just responded well and met the moment. I mean, that’s the biggest thing: You got to meet the moment in every game. And they were able to do that.”
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided's Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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