Durant, more outside than inside the playoffs

No Durant, no party. Houston Rockets have not done their homework during the season and, due to poor planning of their roster, they are tremendously dependent on Kevin Durant. The veteran player landed in Texas hoping to have a solid team around him and to provide added value, but he has encountered obvious structural flaws.

His absence in the first game of the 2026 NBA playoffs highlighted the absolute crisis the franchise is in and how difficult it will be for them to advance in the series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Even with Doncic and Reaves still out, it feels like with LeBron as the playmaker, they can maintain a performance befitting a team aiming to go to the next round. The lack of response from Sengun and the complete absence of freshness in their game leave the Rockets very helpless.

BREAKING: Kevin Durant is out for the remainder of the playoffs due to a lower body injury.

A massive blow to the Houston Rockets. pic.com/1h2xBDCa3r

— Brian Caldwell (@BrianCaldNBA) April 20, 2026

The latest information circulating regarding the physical state of Kevin Durant is really negative. There are talks that he is not recovering as expected and it's almost certain that he won't be able to play in the second game of the series. What's most alarming is that there is growing concern that he might not even be able to compete again in these playoffs, something that would level the series more than expected, giving the Lakers a unique opportunity to advance to the semifinals and dream of Doncic's return.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Durant, más fuera que dentro de los playoffs