On the verge of elimination, the Houston Rockets may once again be without their best player.
All-Star forward Kevin Durant, who missed Houston’s Game 3 loss with a sprained ankle, had been listed as questionable on the team’s injury reports leading up to tip-off, which is scheduled for Sunday, April 26 at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Durant missed Houston’s 112-108 loss Friday, April 26 that dropped the Rockets to a 3-0 hole in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Durant sustained the sprained ankle in the second half of Game 2 on Tuesday, April 21. In that game, Durant scored 20 points in the first half on 6-of-7 shooting. After intermission, however, Lakers coach JJ Redick threw double-teams at Durant, forcing the ball out of his hands. In the second half, Durant scored just 3 points on 1-of-5 shooting.
But all eyes turn to Sunday’s game as the Rockets are trying to avoid a sweep.
Here’s everything you need to know about Kevin Durant’s status Sunday vs. the Lakers:
Is Kevin Durant playing tonight vs. Lakers?
Although Houston had been listing Durant as questionable on early injury reports ahead of Game 4, the team downgraded him to out in the 4:30 p.m. ET injury report.
Per the report, further testing revealed that Durant has also been diagnosed with a bone bruise in the sprained left ankle, prompting him to seek continued treatment ahead of Game 4. In fact, Durant wasn’t present on Houston’s bench during Game 3, with coach Ime Udoka saying that his absence was because he was getting treatment on the ankle.
“He was getting treatment regardless before (the game) and working on some things,” Udoka said after Game 3. “He was getting in the pool and trying to get some running in and do all those things to prepare. He was back there getting treatment, getting the ice and doing things you can’t do on the bench.”
Durant faced some criticism online for his absence from the bench.
Kevin Durant stats
In 78 games this season, Durant averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Durant injury update for Rockets vs. Lakers Game 4
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