Rockets Are Proving They Solely Rely on Kevin Durant After Loss to Lakers

Houston has become too reliant on its greatest strength, and it could make or break this season.

Mar 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; A fan reacts to Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) three point basket against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

There's no denying that at 37 years old, Kevin Durant is still one of the best pure scorers and overall players in the NBA. Even at this stage in his career, he's averaging nearly 26 points per game on 51-40-89 shooting splits, an incredible feat.

However, in his first season with the Houston Rockets, it appears that this young unit is relying a bit too much on its best player to carry the load offensively. That was evident in Wednesday's 124-116 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The first half saw Durant put up just two points on three shots as the Rockets went down 67-55. Like Monday's game against the same opponent, he was constantly getting double-teamed as soon as he crossed half-court, getting taking out of plays and being forced to move the ball to other rotation players.

The 6-foot-11 star flipped the switch in the second half for 16 points on 75% shooting from the field, but it wasn't nearly enough to match a combined 70 points between Luka Dončić (40 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists) and LeBron James (30 points on 93% shooting).

Alperen Şengün (27-4-10) and Amen Thompson (26-11-4) each managed a 20-point double-double, but the fourth quarter was another dud for Houston. The Rockets stormed back in the third, outscoring the Lakers 37-22 with a quicker pace and better ball movement.

But the final 12 minutes saw them shoot 42.9% from the field and 28.6% from three with three critical turnovers. Los Angeles outscored Houston 35-24 in that stretch. The Lakers now own the tiebreaker over the Rockets and pushed them back to the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

We're beating a dead horse at this point, but Ime Udoka and the rest of the team have no answer for a legitimate offensive initiator, which leads to these mistakes on that end of the floor.

Şengün's return from a back injury certainly helped mitigate an unhealthy amount of turnovers, but Durant was still forced out of possessions. He took just two shots in the fourth quarter, while four other players had more attempts in the final 12 minutes.

It's okay for the Rockets to rely on Durant to win games, but there should be a balance, especially when they have such a talented young core. KD is an all-world talent, but Houston has the pieces to go far in the playoffs. It's why the team won 52 games last year. There has to be more diversity within the offense.