The Houston Rockets lost Game 1 of the playoffs against the LA Lakers after star forward Kevin Durant was ruled out shortly before the game. Both teams were missing key players, with the Lakers also without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
(© Kirby Lee | 2026 Apr 18)
The Houston Rockets got an unfortunate surprise heading into Game 1 of the playoffs this season. Just about an hour before they tipped off, star forward Kevin Durant was ruled out of the match. This wasnât the most shocking news, as his injury was reported 24 hours prior, but he was downgraded from questionable to out.
As both were teams now starting the postseason without their leading scorers available, the Saturday night finale was shaping up to look a little different.
The Lakers knew theyâd be without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, and it looked like they were prepared. Theyâve had a few games and more than two weeks without their guys, since both of them last played against OKC on April 2nd.
They came out scorching, with LeBron James proving to everyone why heâs one of the best to ever do it. His seven assists in the first seven minutes showed everyone why heâs still one of the best to ever step on an NBA court.
That propelled Los Angeles to a 12/14 start from the field, making all ten of their two point attempts. The Rockets werenât too far behind, shooting 9/14 as Jabari Smith Jrâs corner three pulled Houston within two. 24-26 with just under four minutes remaining in the quarter.
Obviously some defense needed to be played, and Amen Thompson tried to get the party started with a chase down on ââ but then the offense couldnât convert to tie or regain the lead.
Kevin Durant was downgraded from questionable to out due to an injury reported 24 hours prior to the game.
The Lakers were without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for Game 1 of the playoffs.
The absence of star players like Durant, Doncic, and Reaves significantly altered the dynamics of the playoff matchup, impacting both teams' strategies.
The Houston Rockets lost Game 1 against the LA Lakers in the playoffs.


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The sharpshooter wouldnât be deterred though, as they continued to play through him with their stars out and LeBron on the bench. Kennard torched the Rockets to close out the quarter, finishing five of six from the field with 11 points.
Houston felt lucky to only be down four points to start the second quarter. After slowing down considerably to finish 29-33, the scoring stayed at a snail's pace. More than four minutes into the quarter, each team had only scored seven points.
Starting the second half down by a single basket, Reed Sheppard gave the Rockets their first lead since the first quarter with a three ball. 51-50, but only for a short period.
Deandre Ayton stayed aggressive all night, tracking a double-double early in the third quarter as his tip-in gave him 14 points and 10 rebounds. This started a brief back and forth before another Lakersâ run extended their lead to 56-65.
Entering the fourth quarter in desperate need of a comeback, Reed Sheppard got things started for Houston again. This triple cut the lead to six and gave him 14 points on the night.
Rui Hachimura and Luke Kennard were having none of it though, as they shut down any and every attempt that the Rockets made. Rui from mid range and Kennard from deep, they both continued to drain soul crushing jumpers.
The lead extended past double digits again, getting to 16 points and staying there for a good portion of the final stint. While Houston was able to cut into the lead a bit, it was with less than two minutes left.
Definitely enough time for a comeback, but with the offensive struggles tonight (and throughout the whole season), it was hard to picture any big time run happening.
Unfortunately that became a reality again, as Game 1 concluded with a score of 98-107. Luke Kennard did his best Luka impression, scoring a playoff career high of 27 points.
After looking like this would be an easier series for the Rockets, the tides have already turned. Obviously an opposing role player wonât do this every game, but LA still seemed to win in a relatively easy manner, despite the score staying close.