Kevin Durant is expected to miss Sunday’s Game 4 of the first-round playoff series between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
The All-Star forward has a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports. The bone bruise was not reported in initial descriptions of the injury, and Charania writes that it was discovered “after further testing.”
On X, Charania wrote:
Durant has a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, which would sideline him 2 to 3 weeks in (the regular) season. He’s had around-the-clock treatment to play but has not been cleared by doctors.
Durant came into the Rockets’ facility this morning for his rehab with the team’s medical staff and participated in film session and meetings with teammates. The bone bruise has created swelling, stiffness, and a lack of mobility in the ankle, sources said.
Los Angeles leads the best-of-seven series, 3-0, and one more win would end Houston’s season. Sunday’s tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. Central from Toyota Center, and the game will be televised and streamed to a national audience via NBC and Peacock.
Durant led Houston in scoring during the 2025-26 regular season and only missed one game due to injury. However, the 37-year-old has now missed three of the four games — possibly the only four — in Houston’s postseason run.
The first absence was due to a separate injury, a right knee contusion that Durant suffered in practices leading up to the first round. The subsequent left ankle sprain occurred late in Game 2.
Should Houston win on Sunday, Game 5 would be on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, and it remains to be seen if Durant can be cleared by that time.
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Kevin Durant remains sidelined as Rockets face potential playoff elimination
Reporting by Ben DuBose, Rockets Wire / Rockets Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
