Kevin Durant is expected to miss Sunday’s Game 4 of the first-round playoff series between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.
The All-Star forward has a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
Durant has a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, which would sideline him 2 to 3 weeks in (the regular) season. He’s had around-the-clock treatment to play but has not been cleared by doctors.
Durant came into the Rockets’ facility this morning for his rehab with the team’s medical staff and participated in film session and meetings with teammates. The bone bruise has created swelling, stiffness, and a lack of mobility in the ankle, sources said.
Los Angeles leads the best-of-seven series, 3-0, and one more win would end Houston’s season. Sunday’s tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. Central from Toyota Center, and the game will be televised and streamed to a national audience via NBC and Peacock.
Durant came into the Rockets facility this morning for his rehab with the team’s medical staff and participated in film session and meetings with teammates. The bone bruise has created swelling, stiffness and lack of mobility in the ankle, sources said. Houston will face a 3-0… https://t.co/EWTJ80qlX0
Durant led Houston in scoring during the 2025-26 regular season and only missed one game due to injury. However, the 37-year-old has now missed three of the four games — possibly the only four — in Houston’s postseason run.
The first absence was due to a separate injury, a right knee contusion that Durant suffered in practices leading up to the first round. The subsequent left ankle sprain occurred late in Game 2.
Should Houston win on Sunday, Game 5 would be on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, and it remains to be seen if Durant can be cleared by that time.
More: ‘Not over’: Down 0-3 to Lakers, can Rockets make NBA playoff history?
.@mcten provides an update on Kevin Durant's status ahead of Game 4 ✍️ pic.twitter.com/bpcRtocAbB
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Kevin Durant remains sidelined as Rockets face playoff elimination