The Rockets will again be without their biggest name in a win-or-go-home spot.
Houston star Kevin Durant will not play in Game 6 against the Lakers because of his ankle injury, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. It marks the fourth straight game Durant has missed in the series.
Durant is dealing with a bone bruise in his left ankle, an injury he suffered late in Game 2.
He had just returned that night after sitting out the opener with a bruised tendon in his right knee, finishing with 23 points in 41 minutes before going down again.
There’s at least a little bit of a timeline here. Per Charania, the injury typically carries a minimum two-week recovery window.
Durant was hurt on April 21, putting him just shy of that mark ahead of a potential Game 7 on Sunday in Los Angeles.
In the meantime, the Rockets have managed to stay alive. After falling into a 3-0 hole, Houston has won two straight to force Game 6 back home on Friday.
Durant, 37, was a major part of Houston’s regular season, appearing in 78 games and logging 2,840 minutes, second-most in the league. He averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his first season with the team.
Game 6 tips Friday in Houston (9:30 p.m. EST).
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