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By Cole Sullivan
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Kevin Durant returned to the court Tuesday night after missing Game 1 of his team’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers due to a deep knee bruise.
Despite finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists, Durant’s effort wasn’t enough as the Houston Rockets fell 101–94 to a shorthanded Lakers squad. LeBron James, Marcus Smart, and Luke Kennard each scored 20-plus points to lead the way.
It marked the first head-to-head matchup between James and Durant since the 2018 NBA Finals. After the game, James offered a candid — and humorous — take on Durant’s presence on the court, acknowledging just how difficult he is to defend.
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“It’s still a tall challenge — a 7-foot-tall one, too,” James said. “I know he doesn’t like it, he might be mad at me. He wants to be 6-foot-10 or 6-foot-9 so bad, but he’s 7-foot-0 for sure.”
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Durant, while clearly playing through discomfort, scored 20 of his 23 points in the first half but also committed nine turnovers in the game — compared to just 15 for the Houston Rockets as a team.
While the Lakers’ defense has been strong, Houston’s shot-making hasn’t been good enough. Their biggest issue all season has also come into focus: the lack of a true point guard.
With Fred VanVleet sidelined, that void has never been fully addressed, forcing Durant into more of a facilitating role alongside Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard — neither of whom are natural point guards.
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James has been the storyline through two games, especially at 41 years old and with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined. However, the Los Angeles Lakers have still received the production they’ve needed from other contributors.
Kennard has scored 27 and 23 points in the first two games, while Smart had 17 first-half points in Game 2 and finished with 25, adding five steals. James, Kennard, and Smart combined for 76 of the team’s 101 points.
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