Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant shared details of his injury woes in the 2026 NBA playoffs during Tuesday's media day interview. Durant missed five of the six games in the team's first-round playoff series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers , who were without their top two scorers, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves .
Durant suffered a knee contusion after a collision with a teammate in practice, which kept him out of the series opener. Durant returned in Game 2, but suffered an ankle bone bruise that ruled him out for the rest of the series. The Rockets stretched the series to six games after going down 0-3, but Durant couldn't return.
The Rockets were also without another veteran in Fred VanVleet , who had missed the entire year after tearing his ACL before the season. The Rockets' young players struggled offensively in the absence of VanVleet and Durant. However, Durant didn't feel it put them in an "uncomfortable situation."
"I couldn't play," Durant said (via Rockets reporter Bradeaux). "It was hard for me to run up-and-down the court."
"I don't think basketball can put you in uncomfortable positions," he said. "You're either gonna learn from it or not. I think that the position they were put in the playoffs is exactly what they needed to go through."
That series turned out to be a learning experience for the Rockets without two of their most seasoned players. They couldn't have asked for a better matchup than a LeBron James-led team to feel what it's like to play against experienced teams in the postseason. With that experience and, hopefully, Durant and VanVleet healthy, the Rockets may be able to get over the hump this time and make a deeper run.
Even at 37, Kevin Durant is willing to give it his all. After Rockets coach Ime Udoka said the coaching staff planned to keep his minutes under control this season, Durant disagreed with the strategy.
"I'm better on the court," Durant said. "The team is better when I'm on the court."
Kevin Durant said he was open to sitting games if the Rockets blew out teams by the third quarter, but not under other circumstances.
Durant ranked second in minutes played last season, averaging 36.4 per game. The Rockets leaned heavily on him without VanVleet as they had no other reliable offensive creators.
With VanVleet back and Houston adding Marcus Smart to address the team's ball-handling and playmaking void, Durant's minutes could naturally come down.
Read more:
Mavericks Insider Explains Why Kyrie Irving Trade Chatter Won't Fade at Deadline
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football , men's college basketball , women's college basketball , and college baseball !
