Durant’s Ankle Showing Progress, Yet Rockets Unsure He’ll Play in Game 4 vs. Lakers
HOUSTON — Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said Saturday that Kevin Durant’s sprained left ankle is improving, but the forward remains a game-time decision for Sunday night’s Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Houston trails the first-round Western Conference series 0-3 and faces elimination.
Durant sat out Friday’s Game 3 after turning the ankle late in Game 2. Without him, Houston squandered a six-point cushion in the final 30 seconds of regulation and eventually fell 112-108 in overtime.
“He’s receiving treatment around the clock,” Udoka told reporters. “There’s still some soreness, and we’ve reduced a lot of the swelling. Tomorrow morning and again before tipoff we’ll see what he can tolerate, then make a call.”
When asked to gauge the odds of Durant suiting up, Udoka replied, “Every day that goes by, the likelihood goes up. I thought he might be ready last night based on shootaround, but half-speed work is different from ramping up right before a game. He’s doing everything possible to get back.”
The 37-year-old missed the series opener with a bruised right knee, returned for Game 2 and scored 23 points in 41 minutes of a 101-94 defeat before injuring the ankle. Durant logged 2,840 minutes during the regular season, second-most in the league, and is in his first campaign with Houston after an offseason trade from Phoenix. The two-time champion ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Game 4 is set for Sunday at Toyota Center.
Source: ESPN.com
