Right before Game 1 of the Lakers-Rockets series tipped off, news broke of Kevin Durant being ruled out due to a right knee contusion. Houston went on to lose the series opener, leading Rockets fans to wonder what could have been if KD had suited up.
Durant himself is reportedly upset with how things have played out over the past few days. As per Sam Amick of The Athletic, Durant could barely hide his feelings towards his injury and its ramifications.
“According to several people who watched his routine, his frustration with the brutally-timed situation was impossible to miss. Durant, who played in 78 games during the regular season and has long had a reputation for being willing to play through a fair amount of pain, was clearly coming to grips with the fact that he’d have to sit this playoff opener out.”
Amick added that Kevin Durant had sustained his knee injury just four days prior to the start of the playoffs.
“After banging knees with a teammate during practice on Wednesday, then surely hoping the injury wouldn’t linger too long, observers said he was not moving well during the session. He was ruled out soon thereafter.”
Prior to the start of the Lakers-Rockets series, pundits drew much attention to the absence of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, whose respective injuries threaten to keep them on the sidelines for the entirety of the first round. Now, Durant’s injury has flipped the script as the Lakers look to build on their 1-0 series lead.
“It’s Hard Not to Think About How Long I’ve Been in the League”: Kevin Durant Reflects on Longevity of NBA Career
Ironically, a recent Kevin Durant story goes deep into his thoughts on his longevity in the NBA.
In an interview with Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, the 37-year-old superstar admitted that he contemplates both his past and his future in the league.
“It’s hard not to think about how long I’ve been in the league and how much longer I [have] to go.”
Durant also reflected on the “perfect” timing of his entry into the league, as the “five-out spacing boom” played to his strengths.
