Kevin Durant's Postgame Comments Suggest Changes in the Rockets' Offense

The Houston Rockets' 100-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night stung for so many reasons.

One is that this was a pivotal game for seeding in the Western Conference. The Lakers tied the season series, 1-1, and have the chance to take the tiebreaker on Wednesday, which could push Houston out of the third seed in the West.

Another is simply how far the Rockets collapsed and fell in the second half. They went up six points at the break with Kevin Durant recording 16 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Then the script flipped, and it wasn't so much Los Angeles as it was Houston's own doing.

The Rockets shot 25% from the field in the fourth quarter, putting up just 12 total points. In the final six minutes, they made two shots, squandering the lead while Durant managed two points in the second half. He finished the game with seven turnovers.

It was clear that the Lakers were in full control on the defensive end. Without a true point guard, Houston had its 6-foot-11 forward bring the ball up the floor, only to be met with aggressive double teams. If he made a successful pass, it only led to shots from guys who have struggled from three-point range this season.

After the game, Durant made suggestive comments about Ime Udoka's offense. Perhaps a change is in order, and KD's would entail being in a different spot on the floor.

Kevin Durant talks the #Rockets 100-92 loss to the Lakers.
KD with 16 1st half points (7-11 FG) - but the Lakers defense held him to just 2 in the 2nd half (1-5 FG) pic.twitter.com/oOjIRKXoci
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) March 17, 2026

"Maybe I just gotta get out of the way, go to the corner, space the floor out for other guys," Durant said. "When I get the ball against certain teams, they're just going to sell out and just say, 'We're just going to double and play a little zone behind it and see what happens, and if we give open shots, that's cool.'

"But maybe I just need to get out of the way, to be honest. Set screens, be ready to catch and shoot. Just space the floor out for my teammates."

At this point, it doesn't just happen with Durant. At this point, we're beating a dead horse, but the Rockets' lack of a true point guard has held them back so many times, and it's a big reason why their offense is falling off a cliff late in the regular season.

Opponents are constantly throwing aggressive defenders and double teams their way, no matter who is bringing the ball up the floor. Houston lacks ball security, which is why it ranks 28th in turnover percentage this season.

Lakers working to switch and show early help to bog the Rockets down. LeBron is on Amen Thompson and showing early help. Switch on the handoff. KD gets the ball and the Lakers working to shrink the floor. pic.twitter.com/zXRxYl6wrf
— Steve Jones (@stevejones20) March 17, 2026

Durant's comments allude to a significant change, and that might be the answer to diversifying a rotation that has solely relied on the 37-year-old to bail it out on the offensive end. With a 4-4 March record, Udoka should be willing to try anything at this point.

The Rockets will face the Lakers again on Wednesday, with hopes of clinching the tiebreaker should the season come down to the wire, which it likely will. Over its last 15 games, it will be interesting to see if Houston uses Durant less as an initiator and more as a perimeter presence.