Kevin Durant Out for Game 5 as Rockets Face Elimination vs Lakers

Kevin Durant sidelined, rockets on brink

Kevin Durant will miss Game 5 with an ankle sprain as the Rockets try to avoid elimination. The Lakers lead 3-1 and may get Austin Reaves back.

Kevin Durant is ruled out for Game 5 as the Rockets try to stave off elimination vs the Lakers, who lead 3-1 despite injuries to Doncic and Reaves...

 

The Houston Rockets will be without injured star Kevin Durant as they try to avoid elimination in the NBA playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

 

The Lakers lead the best-of-seven Western Conference series 3-1 after failing to complete a first-round sweep in Game 4 on Sunday.

Durant, 37, missed Games 3 and 4 with a sprained ankle suffered in Game 2 - his first appearance of the series after he sat out the opener with a bruised knee.

The Rockets are trying to become the first NBA team in history to rally from 0-3 down and win a playoff series.

 

They held the lead for the entire second half of Game 4, but the Lakers hope offensive standout Austin Reaves will return from injury for Game 5.

Reaves was listed as questionable for Games 3 and 4 due to an oblique injury but didn’t play in either game despite warming up beforehand.

Kevin Durant is out for Game 5 against the Lakers, the team announced.

Durant missed the past two games because of a sprained left ankle and bone bruise. pic.twitter.com/71AH76bRLN

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 29, 2026

“I want to get back out there as fast as I can,” Reaves said Tuesday, speaking to reporters for the first time since his April 2 injury. “But like I said, I feel good and trending in the right direction and can't wait to wake up tomorrow and attack another day.”

Reaves got hurt in the same game that saw Lakers star Luka Doncic, the NBA's leading scorer, exit with a left hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined since.