Report: Kevin Durant will not play in must-win Game 4 for Rockets due to sprained ankle

Facing a must-win Game 4 at home, down 0-3 in the series to the Lakers, the Rockets will be without Kevin Durant once again due to a bone bruise in his left ankle, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Officially, Durant is still questionable for Game 4 and the Rockets have made no official announcement. However, according to Charania, Durant went through rehab this morning and was with the team for its film session, but said that the "bone bruise has created swelling, stiffness and lack of mobility in the ankle, sources said."

Durant has played in just one game in this series, scoring 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting with six rebounds in Game 2, but the Lakers won that game on their home court. The 16-time All-Star raised eyebrows in Game 3 when he was not on the bench (in street clothes) with his teammates, adding to the questions about the lack of cohesion in the Rockets' locker room. Coach Ime Udoka said after the game that Durant was getting treatment in the locker room during the game.

That lack of cohesion has shown on the court, where the Rockets have struggled to score consistently against the Lakers' pressure defense in this series. Houston has a 105.6 offensive rating in this series, 13 points below their season average (which was top-10 in the league). The Rockets also have struggled defensively to slow down LeBron James and the Lakers' attack, despite Los Angeles being without Luka Doncic or Austin Reaves.

The Rockets will need to find that cohesion on Sunday night, and do it without Durant, the team's leading scorer during the regular season at 26 points per game. If they don't, their season ends much earlier than expected, leading to a lot of offseason questions.