What a Dr. of Physical Therapy had to say About Kevin Durant's Injury

The Houston Rockets headed into their series with the Los Angeles Lakers as favorites in many people's eyes because of the Lakers' injury situation.

Both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves were ruled out for at least the start of the first round matchup with the Rockets and possibly the entire series. The injuries to two of the Lakers' best three players gave the Rockets a major advantage heading into Game 1.

That was until news broke that Kevin Durant suffered a knee contusion in Thursday's practice and would miss at least Game 1. The Lakers took full advantage of the injury and won Game 1, 107-98. Luckily for the Rockets, there were two days in between Game 1 and Game 2.

Reports over the last two days stated that the Rockets were optimistic Durant could play in Game 2, but so far, the future Hall of Famer is still listed as questionable and will be a game-time decision. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Durant is officially a go for Tuesday's game, clearing the way for him to play the remainder of the series.

To get more information on Durant’s injury, what could be the possible timeline for a return, and if this is something that could affect his play even when he does return to the court, Rockets on SI spoke with Evan Jeffries, a Doctor of Physical Therapy who has been practicing for 12 years and is the cohost of The Hoops Rehab Show podcast.

Rockets on SI Conversation With Dr. Jeffries

Apr 9, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) handles the ball against Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow (25) during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Dr. Jeffries, as mentioned earlier, has been in practice for 12 years and routinely analyzes and discusses injuries across all major sports. Of course, we now know the exact injury Durant is dealing with, but Rockets on SI asked Dr. Jeffries what exactly a knee contusion is.

What is a knee contusion and what makes Durant's injury different?

Dr. Jeffries stated that it is “In general, a knee contusion is when someone sustains a blow to the knee, and it cause a bruise.” However, as Dr. Jeffries would go on to say, Durant’s injury is a little bit more concerning because of the type of bruising he suffered.

"It’s aurally a deep bruise to the patellar tendon," Jeffries said. "Which can make things more complicated because of the pain, swelling, and lack of range of motion.”

Dr. Jeffries also mentioned that any bruise can be troublesome, but a tendon bruise could be “problematic” and lead to acute tendinitis, which can flare the tendon and cause pain.

That, of course, could become a bigger issue because in the playoffs you dont have much time for recovery, especially after the Rockets' loss in Game 1 and now facing a 0-2 deficit. Dr. Jeffries went on to say that this type of injury could take days and sometimes weeks to heal.

Can Durant make the injury worse by coming back to quickly?

The one positive is that Dr. Jeffries does not believe Durant could make the injury worse by coming back too soon.

“ I wouldn’t necessarily say he could make it worse; it would be more he’s going to cause a delay in healing because he will be irritating it by playing on it.”

Once he comes back will there be any limitations?

The next question, of course, is: if he does come back in Game 2, what would be his limitations? As mentioned earlier, it wouldn't be fully healed no matter when he comes back in this series.

Dr. Jeffries stated that the speed of the game and repetitive motion, such as jumping, could cause issues.

“The main issue he will have to deal with is the speed of the game and the repetition of jumping. Think of when people have patellar tendinitis, it can really be bothersome from repetitive jumping.”

Durant’s game is not predicated on athleticism or being faster than his opponent, but no doubt the Lakers would make it a point to test him, especially on the defensive end, to see if he can move laterally and handle that kind of pressure all game.

What other NBA players have dealt with similar issues recently?

There have been other star players who have dealt with a similar type of injury. Dr. Jeffries said the injury took away much of those players' athletic ability.

“Lately, there has been two players in the NBA that have been dealing with 'runner's knee': Stephen Curry and Anthony Edwards. This presents similar as far as pain in the front of the knee and is affected by receptive jumping. It really zaps your athletic ability when you are playing.”

Curry mentioned, when asked about his injury, that it's a persistent, painful issue with no clear healing timeline. As we saw during the Golden State Warriors' play-in loss to the Phoenix Suns, Curry was not the same type of player and was limited in what he could do on the court.

What would be your recommendation on a possible return?

When it comes to whether a player returns from an injury and plays in the next game, the player has some say, but it also depends on the medical staff and their evaluation.

Rockets on SI asked Dr. Jeffries for his opinion not only from the outside looking in, but also what it would be if he were on the Rockets staff evaluating Durant, and what it would take for him to clear him to play.

First, I asked as someone on the outside, and with the information he has, does he believe he will play in Game 2?

“I do think he tries to play on Tuesday because of what is at stake and Houston not wanting to go down 0-2. Now, how well he plays or how he looks will be hard to know until we see him on the court.”

The fact that it is the playoffs, of course, plays a big role in when Durant will make his Rockets postseason debut. Rockets on SI asked if it was the regular season, how much time would Durant have missed?

“Likely, they would give him a week or two to let it settle down, depending on how bad it really is.”

Next, I asked Dr. Jeffries, who was on the Rockets' staff, what it would take to clear Durant to play.

“For me, it would be can he pass certain pregame test without pain and restriction. If not, he’s putting himself at risks of a secondary injury because of the compensation. He’s also already been there when he had the calf strain with Golden State and came back and tore his Achilles tendon.”

There have been some questions about whether the Rockets can defeat the Lakers in the series if Durant does not return at all in round 1, so I asked what the chances are that Durant does not return at all if, for instance, the series goes at least six games. Dr. Jeffries puts the chances of Durant coming back at some point in this series fairly high.

“I would say there is a very small percentage that he doesn’t come back in this series (5% and under).”

Possibility of Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves coming back this series?

The other big injury news in the series concerns Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. I finished up my chat with Dr. Jeffries by asking him about the chances of either player coming back at some point in this series.

“To be honest, I think it’s a long shot for either to play this series. We still haven’t seen Luka on the court in practice getting any real live sessions, and it would be hard-pressed to think he will be ready in one week. I think the longer the series goes, maybe there is a chance.”

The Rockets and Lakers matchup is the last game of the night, so with Durant a game-time decision, we likely won't know for sure until later tonight.

Thank you again to Dr. Evan Jeffries for taking the time to answer our questions. You can find him on all social media platforms @gameinjurydoc.

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