41 vs 37. LeBron James and Kevin Durant were gearing up to face off in a playoff game to remember. However, just about 90 minutes before the clash, the Rockets announced that they’d be playing without their centerpiece. Durant was a complete late scratch because of a bruised right knee. And while it is safe to assume that the injury-depleted Los Angeles Lakers had an unexpected advantage without him on the floor in Game 1, what’s the latest verdict on his injury?

ESPN’s Shams Charania initially reported on Good Morning America: “The Houston Rockets are also dealing with an injury with Kevin Durant, their superstar player. He has a right knee contusion, and I’m told he suffered the injury at practice on Thursday. He underwent an MRI on Friday after he banged his knee against a teammate.” But has this injury gotten better with time? It doesn’t appear so.

The 37-year-old superstar has averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in his first season with Houston, playing in 78 games. That’s his highest total since his last season with the Golden State Warriors in 2018-19. Before Saturday’s game, the Rockets’ head coach, Ime Udoka, spoke to the media and revealed what truly happened to their superstar after accidentally bumping knees. His update, though, doesn’t sound very convincing. “Soreness, it’s very tender,” Udoka said. “It’s tough to bend certain ways. There’s not a lot of swelling, but he hit it in an awkward spot more than anything.”

“It could be a regular bumped knee, and you can kind of play through that, but this is right above the knee, in the patella tendon area,” the coach continued. “It’s just very tender and sore. Like I said, pain tolerance is one thing, but the limited movement is more of an issue.” Now, the injury came as a shock, as KD remained healthy for almost the entire season. Throughout this campaign, he carried a massive load, logging the second-most minutes in the league, and sits just 15 shy of a staggering 5,000 playoff points. A number that screams true dominance. Naturally, that shapes everything for the Rockets’ offense.

At 37-years old and 18 seasons in, Durant was one of five players to average at least 26 points, five rebounds, and four assists this season (along with Jaylen Brown, Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo). He was Houston’s best player by a sizable margin, with the Rockets surging in the regular season’s closing weeks (nine wins in 10 games) before finishing fifth in the West. His condition changes the equation…

Statistically speaking, though, the Rockets have been successful both with and without Kevin Durant. They held a 48-30 record (61.5% win rate) when Durant played and a 4-0 record (100% win rate) in games he missed. Therefore, the Rockets didn’t need Durant to beat the Lakers. But Udoka hasn’t had the time to plan his strategy with him missing, considering the veteran’s near-perfect fitness this season. It makes their lineup interesting for round 1.

Lakers vs Rockets Game 1: How did it all pan out?

With Durant out of the lineup, the Rockets went with Josh Okogie, Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun in Game 1. It was obvious that much of the offense rested on Sengun’s shoulders. Now, the All-Star big man already contributes well enough as a post scorer. However, when the spotlight flashed onto him to play like a superstar, he was mostly absent on Saturday night.

Sengun had 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists, but shot 3 of 14 from the field after the first quarter and couldn’t put LA’s iffy center combo of Deandre Ayton and Jaxson Hayes under pressure. On the other hand, Reed Sheppard, who shot 6 of 20 from the field, certainly did not help. Even in Durant’s presence, he’d need his teammates to contribute more efficiently than they did in Game 1.

In comparison, the Lakers were also missing two of their top three scorers in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. Alongside LeBron James, who was expected to deliver big last night, Luke Kennard stepped up, scoring 27 points, four rebounds, and three assists while making five of five shots from the 3-point line.

At 41, James helped his team with a well-rounded performance, getting 19 points, 13 assists, and eight rebounds. This LA team didn’t fire on all cylinders, but they still managed to get away with it because no Rockets player crossed 20 points.

Durant has two days to recover before Game 2 at the Crypto.com Arena again.