No more! Officially announcing withdrawal from the competition! Durant falls injured for the second time.

It's over~

Durant missed Game 3 due to a left ankle sprain.

According to Rockets head coach Udoka, Durant sprained his left ankle during a transition offense in the final quarter of Game 2, followed by swelling and pain upon pressure.

This is Durant's second absence in the Rockets-Lakers series, the first being in Game 1 due to a deep contusion of the right knee patellar tendon.

American reporter Tomer Azarly commented on this: "Durant played 78 games in the regular season this year, with total minutes ranking second in the entire league, yet now he cannot provide help for the team in the playoffs."

Speaking of which, having a 37-year-old veteran endure such workload in the regular season doesn't seem very reasonable for the Rockets.

Due to Durant's injury situation, perhaps the Rockets cannot escape being swept by the Lakers, currently trailing 0-2 in the series.

The Rockets have been plagued by injuries throughout the season. Before the season started, starting point guard VanVleet was ruled out directly due to a torn right knee ACL; mid-season, interior defensive anchor Adams was ruled out after agreeing to undergo left ankle surgery; now Durant has fallen at the most critical moment......

It is worth noting that,Statistics show that so far the Rockets have the second worst offense among all playoff teams, with an average score of 96 ranking 15th in the league, only better than the Suns (95.5); meanwhile, shooting percentage at 39% and true shooting percentage at 47.7% are both at the bottom level, and the number of three-pointers made at 9 still only ranks 15th in the league, etc.

Game 3 is at the Rockets' home court, starting lineup: Amen + Sheppard + Sengun + J. Smith + Eason; Lakers starting lineup: Kennard + Smart + Ayton + Hachimura + James.

By the way, although Reeves missed Game 3, multiple sources indicate he is about to return. As the Lakers' current second-largest offensive firepower, his comeback undoubtedly will give the already nearly shattered Rockets another heavy blow; the Purple and Gold really can start considering their playoff second-round opponent.