With ankle injury, Kevin Durant expected to miss Rockets-Lakers Game 6

With Kevin Durant sidelined due to an ankle injury, the Rockets have won consecutive games to climb back to within 3-2 in their first-round playoff series against the Lakers.

And in Friday’s Game 6 at home, as Houston looks to tie the series against Los Angeles and force a decisive Game 7, it appears they will again be without Durant for a fifth time in six games.

Per Shams Charania of ESPN:

Sources told Charania that Durant's injury generally carries a minimum two-week timetable for returning to play. Durant suffered the injury on April 21, which was 12 days before a potential Game 7 in this series.

The Rockets have not ruled out Durant for the entirety of the series, and Sunday’s Game 7 is close enough to that two-week checkpoint that there might be a window for the All-Star forward to play at that time.

However, Friday’s Game 6 isn’t even to the week-and-a-half mark. Durant is dealing with both a sprain and a bone bruise to his left ankle, which he suffered late in Game 2 — the only game he’s played in this series.

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: @ShamsCharania reports that Kevin Durant will miss Game 6 in the Rockets-Lakers series ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3DsNOoGfTU— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 30, 2026

Including Game 6, Durant will have missed five playoff games (and counting) due to injury after missing only one in the entire 2025-26 regular season.

With their leading scorer unavailable, the Rockets will continue to start their “young core” starting lineup of Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun.

All are 24 years old or younger.

More: Game 5: Jabari Smith Jr. delivers as Rockets stay alive versus Lakers

The Rockets have the 2nd youngest starting lineup in NBA playoff history behind the 2024 Thunder. Their playoff rotation:

Amen Thompson (23)
Reed Sheppard (21)
Tari Eason (24)
Jabari Smith Jr. (22)
Alperen Şengün (23)

Aaron Holiday (29)
Josh Okogie (27)
Dorian Finney-Smith (32) pic.twitter.com/2dQvAQ9La4— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) April 29, 2026

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: With ankle injury, Kevin Durant expected to miss Rockets-Lakers Game 6