Both Rockets, Lakers Have One Star Questionable on Injury Report

Both Houston and Los Angeles are dealing with injuries midway through the series.

Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks on from the court in the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Rockets will face off against the Lakers tonight, with their season effectively on the line staring down the barrel of an 0-3 deficit.

It wasn't long ago that the Rockets were favorites to win the first-round series, though a Kevin Durant injury and two losses later, things aren't looking great. Houston has faltered offensively, and has been unable to stop a veteran cast of Lakers led by LeBron James.

In the least, the series flips back to Houston tonight, potentially clearing a way for Houston to grab its first win.

Here are the injury reports for both the Rockets and Lakers ahead of a must-win game for Houston:

Houston Rockets injuries:

Steven Adams — Out: Left ankle surgery

Kevin Durant — Questionable: Left ankle sprain

Fred VanVleet — Out: Right knee ACL repair

Los Angeles Lakers injuries:

Luka Doncic — Out: Left hamstring strain

Austin Reaves — Questionable: Left oblique muscle strain

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While Houston was thought of to be past major injury concern following Durant’s Game 2 return, the superstar forward has now picked up an ankle injury, putting his status back into question.

Durant missed Game 1 with a knee contusion picked up in practice, and made a needed return in Game 2, offering the team an offensive punch even not at 100%. 

Houston will almost certainly need Durant to be in the lineup tonight to leave with a win, with the offense struggling even accounting for the longtime superstar.

The Lakers have injury intrigue as well, with star guard Austin Reaves having been upgraded from out to questionable ahead of Game 3.

Reaves suffered an oblique injury near the end of the season, and was previously thought of to be making his return in the first week of May, putting his return timeline well past the first-round series agains the Rockets. Now, per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Reaves is close to returning.

"The sense around the Lakers is that Austin Reaves is actually the one that's further along than Luka Doncic in their respective rehab processes. I am told Austin Reaves has started 1 on 1 on court work. The next step for him is to continue to go through the progressions of 3-on-3, 5-on-5."

How both team’s injuries shake out could very well decide the third contest of the series, one the Rockets’ desperately need to keep their season alive.

The Rockets and Lakers tip off at 7 p.m. CT from Toyota Center in Houston, TX.