Rockets rule out Kevin Durant (ankle) for Game 3 vs. Lakers

HOUSTON — Rockets star Kevin Durant will not play in Game 3 of Houston’s first-round playoff sequence towards the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night time due to a strained left ankle.

Durant additionally missed the opener of the sequence due to a bruised proper knee. He returned for Game 2 and scored 23 factors in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss that gave the Lakers a 2-0 lead within the sequence.

Coach Ime Udoka stated Durant was injured with about seven minutes left in Game 2 when he was chasing down Luke Kennardhowever he didn’t go away the sport.

“We’ve seen the play and found out when it happened. Just played the remainder of the game and obviously adrenaline and was still loose,” Udoka stated. “But afterwards it swelled up, some tenderness and got worse over the next day or so.”

Durant’s harm issues this postseason got here after the 37-year-old ranked second within the league within the common season by taking part in 2,840 minutes.

Durant, who’s in his first season in Houston after a blockbuster offseason commerce from phoenixis the fifth-leading scorer in NBA historical past.