Is Kevin Durant returning from sprained ankle to help save Rockets' season?

It all comes down to Sunday for the Houston Rockets. Facing a 3-0 first-round playoff series deficit against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Rockets no longer have any margin for error. They are on the verge of seeing their season end unceremoniously at home in Houston.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, in such a difficult time, they're not going to get any help from their best player.

After missing Game 3 of this series with a sprained ankle, Kevin Durant will also miss Game 4, as it turns out that he has a bone bruise in that same sprained ankle. Woof. Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Durant's injury would cause him to miss a few weeks if this were the regular season, which should cast doubt on whether he even plays again against the Lakers, should the Rockets extend the series.

Houston's Kevin Durant is expected to miss Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers, sources tell ESPN. Durant has a bone bruise in his sprained ankle, which would sideline him 2 to 3 weeks in season. He's had around-the-clock treatment to play but has not been cleared by doctors. pic.twitter.com/DpOdclPEAw— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2026

The Rockets have already struggled to consistently score against the Lakers' connected defense through three games. Likely not having an automatic scorer like Durant available for the rest of the series could be a death sentence for Houston's season. We'll see whether they can buy some time for Durant to recover in Sunday night's Game 4.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Kevin Durant injury: Latest on Rockets star's ankle problem for Game 4