The Houston Rockets are seeking to level their series against the Los Angeles Lakers, but face an uphill battle. The Lakers took Game 1 with a 107-98 victory. Game 2 is set for Tuesday night.
Durant’s Injury Troubles
Whether Kevin Durant is available for Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers doesn’t alter Houston’s mission. Durant injured his right knee during practice. He bumped knees with a teammate on Wednesday.
“It’s soreness. It’s very tender,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “It’s tough to bend in certain ways. Not a lot of swelling. He hit it in a very awkward spot … It could’ve been a regular bumped knee, and he would’ve played through that. But it was right above the knee, the patellar tendon area.”
“Pain tolerance is one thing, but actually limited movement is more the cause,” Udoka said.
The Rockets were unable to compensate for Durant’s absence in Game 1. Remove 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game and nearly 50/40/90 shooting splits from a lineup, and it will have an impact.
If he plays, some of Houston’s offensive woes will evaporate. If he’s unavailable, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard will need much better games.
The injury also altered Houston’s bench minutes: just one reserve played more than 11 minutes, and starters Amen Thompson and Smith each logged more than 43 minutes. Sheppard had to play 10 more minutes (36) than his season average.
Rockets’ Offensive Struggles
The Rockets need improved play offensively and defensively if they want to avoid a 2-0 deficit against the Lakers. Houston took 27 more shots, made more 3s than the Lakers and committed seven fewer turnovers – and didn’t reach 100. That’s what happens when a team shoots 37.6% from the field.
“It’s hard to win with those numbers,” Udoka said.
- The Rockets need an offensive spark in Game 2.
- The Rockets need improved play offensively and defensively.
- Houston took 27 more shots than the Lakers in Game 1.
Lakers’ Game 1 Performance
Luke Kennard hopes to have another big performance to help L.A. take a 2-0 series lead over Houston. The Lakers were also without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Before Dončić and Reaves sustained injuries in the 77th game, the Lakers had settled into a nice flow offensively with James as the third option.
Now, he has to manage more of the offense, and he produced in Game 1, dominating with his passing in nearly 40 minutes.
LeBron James played in a playoff game alongside his son, Bronny, making them the first father-son duo to appear in a postseason game. They shared just under four minutes of court time as James directed the Lakers to a victory with 19 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds, two steals and one block.
The Lakers hope their depth can carry them to a 2-0 series edge.