That’s two losses for the Houston Rockets, as Kevin Durant missed Game 1 and committed nine turnovers in Game 2. After a right knee bruise sidelined him for the series opener, another issue now threatens his availability. Amid it all, Durant isn’t immune to criticism, as a 22-year-old teammate sends him a message.
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First, Game 3 availability is in limbo, as the latest injury report lists Kevin Durant as questionable for tomorrow’s game with a left ankle sprain. He reportedly tweaked the ankle during the April 21 matchup, his first game back from a prior knee injury. While he finished Game 2 with 23 points, he struggled in the second half, scoring only three points and shooting just 1-for-5 as the Rockets lost 101–94. The Los Angeles Lakers double-teamed him aggressively to limit his production, and it worked. With home-court advantage in Game 3, the Houston players will look to flip the script.
“It makes it difficult, but at the end of the day, they’re trying to stop him, and the other guys have to be aggressive. We’ve got to be aggressive out of it, make the right reads, and make the right decisions,” Jabari Smith Jr. acknowledged Kevin Durant‘s hardships from the Lakers’ trap coverage but also stated that it should not stop the Rockets’ veteran from performing.
“It’s on him to find ways to get himself involved and get to his spots without the double team. Just because he’s getting double-teamed, we still need him to be KD. There are still ways around it. We’ve got some fixes, and we’re going to be better the next two games.”
While the Lakers laid the trap, Kevin Durant led Houston with 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting in 41 minutes. But a poor second-half display, where he had five of his career postseason-worst nine turnovers, doesn’t display the right impact he wants on the team.
Jabari Smith Jr. on Kevin Durant: “It's on him to find ways to get himself involved and get to his spots without the double team. Just because he's getting double teamed, we still need him to be KD, you know?..."
JJ Redick and his team also mixed up their strategy, clogging the paint and preventing Kevin Durant from consistently finding his teammates for easy looks. It even led to a moment of frustration for Durant, who lashed out at a teammate. Their dysfunction was on full display with four minutes left in the second frame.
Reed Sheppard forced a contested, ill-advised shot on a fast break. He missed it, and even though Durant salvaged the attacking play with a jumper, he was visibly irate and was heard screaming, “Pass the rock” to his young teammate while running back on defense.
Before the injury, Kevin Durant put his teammates on notice
It was the second time that the Lakers, without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, managed to outperform the Rockets on both sides of the floor. Speaking about AR, in the injury reports, he was upgraded to questionable for Game 3 after being sidelined because of a Grade 2 left oblique strain. His addition will be another factor for the Purple and Gold, but Houston will have to find its own form.
“We’re just not making shots. We’re not shooting the ball well. We’re getting good looks. We’re missing a lot of layups,” Kevin Durant said about his Rockets.” They’re making threes, and we’re not.”
In Game 2, the Rockets hit just seven of their 29 three-point attempts. Meanwhile, the Lakers shot 46.4% from three, nearly doubling Houston’s volume. The Rockets were the tenth-best shooting team in the league, averaging 11.5 made threes per game as well. But that hasn’t carried over to the postseason yet.
That’s why Kevin Durant wants his teammates to step up. If the shots are falling, maybe the Lakers will be forced to alter their strategy of doubling Durant. But for that to happen, the two-time Finals MVP needs to be fully fit and get past his ankle issues.
