Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant is likely to miss Game 6 of the first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a left ankle bone bruise he’s been dealing with throughout most of the playoffs.
Reports indicate the veteran forward is still recovering from his ankle injury. Senior NBA insider Shams Charania provided the latest update on Durant’s condition ahead of this critical Game 6.
Is Kevin Durant Playing Game 6 Against the Lakers? NBA Insider Shams Charania Drops Major Update
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up, Charania delivered the dampener. “Sources tell me Kevin Durant will be out for Game 6. He’s not going to be playing, so he will have missed 5 of 6 games so far in this series.”
“He’s dealing with a bone bruise in his left ankle,” the insider added. “We know he dealt with a tendon bruise that sidelined him for Game 1, but this bone bruise is a two-week minimum injury. He’s just over one week right now, so Houston’s going to rely on that young core that they have.”
With Durant unavailable, the Rockets will hope their young unit, which bounced back with two consecutive wins, can force a Game 7 when they host the Lakers at the Toyota Center on Friday.
“They’ve had pretty much full control of the last three games. They could have easily won Game 3, obviously. And you think about it, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Şengün. I have a stat for you. They’re the youngest starting five to win a game in NBA playoff history,” Charania said.
The Rockets have managed to keep their offensive engine running without Durant in four of five games so far. Regardless, his presence would have added more teeth to a side that’s still chasing a historic deficit. No team in NBA history has bounced back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series, and the Rockets will now bank on their momentum from the previous two games.
On Wednesday, the Rockets stayed ahead of the Lakers through collective efforts on both ends of the floor. Smith Jr. led the side with a team-high 22 points, along with seven rebounds and three assists. Tari Eason had 18 points. Şengün and Sheppard added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The good news for the Lakers came in the form of Austin Reaves’ return. The guard logged solid minutes and finished with 22 points, four rebounds, and six assists after missing significant time on the floor.
LeBron James led the team with a game-high 25 points. Center DeAndre Ayton also logged a double-double with 18 points and 17 rebounds. Ultimately, these efforts weren’t enough as the Lakers went down 99-93.
