Kevin Durant Injury Update, Rumors on Status for Rockets vs. Lakers Game 1 After Knee Contusion

The availability of Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant is up in the air the day before his team's playoff opener against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Durant was listed as questionable with a right knee contusion on Friday's 9 p.m. ET injury report.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, "A source told ESPN that Durant sustained the injury during practice this week, but the Rockets are optimistic his knee will not be a significant issue during the series."

The Lakers and Rockets tip off Game 1 Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The former MVP and first-year Rocket put up 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this year, shooting 52 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from deep.

Despite his age, Durant has maintained a high level of play in the latter half of his career. He's also managed to avoid any serious injuries over the last few years, playing 75 games during the 2023-24 campaign and 62 games last year. He sat out just one game during the 2025-26 season due to injury, per The Athletic's Will Guillory.

The Rockets will hope he can remain available for the start of the postseason.

Durant is in his first season with Houston after spending the last two and a half years with the Phoenix Suns. After failed experiments with the Suns and the Brooklyn Nets, Durant is hoping to finally make a push back toward the NBA Finals.

Houston finished the regular season with a 52-30 record and will now take on the shorthanded Lakers, who will be led by LeBron James but will be without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) indefinitely.