Kevin Durant's Game 3 Injury Status Puts Rockets' Season in Serious Jeopardy

Ahead of Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Houston Rockets are in an extremely tough spot, being down 2-0. As much as they are technically able to make a comeback in this series, the deficit feels even larger.

Houston's performance in Games 1 and 2 was nothing short of putrid. The offense lacked any sort of stability, and the Lakers, without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, looked extremely comfortable. LeBron James and Luka Kennard poured in a combined 51 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists and four steals in Game 2.

A new setting offers a new opportunity, and the Rockets' 30-11 regular-season home record is a major positive. However, their top scorer is once again questionable to play tonight, as Kevin Durant is dealing with an ankle sprain ahead of Game 3. The 37-year-old sat out Game 1 with a knee contusion.

In the first half of Game 2, Durant was the only true source of offense for the Rockets. He put up 20 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, but Los Angeles quickly keyed in on the Slim Reaper, as he committed nine total turnovers and scored just three points in the second half.

The Lakers' strategy of applying pressure to any ball-handler past half-court, as well as double-teaming Durant, has worked perfectly. It's forcing the ball into supplementary players who don't command the same attention as the 6-foot-11 sniper. Houston is shooting 39% from the field and 29% from three-point in this series.

Now, Durant's latest injury update firmly puts the Rockets' season on life support. They're dead in the water without him, seeing as how their only true shooter is Reed Sheppard, who logged just 11 minutes in Game 2.

On top of that, Reaves has been upgraded to questionable since suffering an oblique injury in early April. As Dončić heals from a hamstring issue, the Lakers' second-leading scorer is inching closer to a return.

Just purely based on the circumstances of the playoffs and this series, it would be a shock if Durant didn't suit up tonight, but if he's out, Ime Udoka would likely run a starting five of Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Şengün. Sheppard and Smith are the only players shooting above 36% from deep.

After yesterday's practice, Smith noted that the Rockets need Durant to do more than pass out of double-teams. But what happens when there are no double-teams at all? If Houston's star scorer is out, major adjustments have to be made.

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