The Houston Rockets had seen their series slip to 3-0 against the Los Angeles Lakers after a costly late-game collapse in Game 3, putting them on the brink of elimination.
Their situation had been further complicated by the ongoing absence of Kevin Durant, who had already sat out multiple games and remained questionable heading into Game 4.
“Up in the air,” head coach Ime Udoka said when asked about Durant’s potential return following the loss.
Durant had been dealing with a sprained left ankle suffered while contesting a shot by Luke Kennard, after previously missing the series opener due to a knee bruise from a practice session.
In his absence, Houston’s offensive struggles had been evident.
The team had hovered around 100 points per game and posted inefficient shooting numbers, connecting on just under 40 percent of their attempts overall and less than 30 percent from beyond the arc.
Kevin Durant’s Status For Game 4 Is ‘Up In The Air’ https://t.co/ERlctCKwLg
— RealGM (@RealGM) April 25, 2026
