The Houston Rockets have climbed back from a 3-0 deficit to make the Los Angeles Lakers sweat a bit in Round 1.
But with the playoff series shifting back to Houston for Game 6, the Rockets will not have their most dynamic scorer as they hope to force a Game 7. Kevin Durant, who’s been sidelined since spraining his left ankle in Game 2, is expected to miss Game 6, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday.
Houston has pulled off consecutive victories without Durant, leaning on Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun more than usual. Smith in particular was crucial to Game 5, as he posted 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists to help the Rockets extend the series.
Durant has hardly shown any signs of a decline at age 37. The Slim Reaper averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists during the regular season, his first with the Rockets.
The length of Durant is valuable to Houston both offensively and defensively against an undersized Lakers squad. While the Rockets have home-court advantage on their side for Game 6, they’ll be playing in hostile territory for Game 7, so they’ll surely be hoping for Durant to be back by then.
As of now, Durant does not have a definitive timetable to return.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Kevin Durant injury update: Is Rockets star (ankle) playing Game 6 vs. Lakers?