Houston thrives without Durant, showing offensive brilliance. Will a return complicate their winning formula for Game 5?
Kevin Durant is still listed as day-to-day, according to Ime Udoka as of today. Coach hasn’t ruled him out yet, but all signs point in the same direction. It’s been reported that he hasn’t been at practice either. He missed Game 3 and Game 4, and now is realistically unlikely for Game 5 with the season on the line.
In Game 3, Houston only lost by four in OT and just played their best game of the series without him on Sunday.
Game 4 wasn’t perfect by any means, but they looked in tune with each other. The ball moved so much that all five starters notched 16 points or more, and Houston controlled the pace all night.
Let’s think back to Game 2 one more time. Durant put up 20 in the first half, looked completely in control of the court, and then the Lakers adjusted after the break. It seemed they cracked the code: take Durant completely out of the equation. KD finished with three points in the second half, while the rest of the squad plainly failed to step up.
Their downfall cant; totally be blamed on the coverage. It was obvious that loss was more so to the utter lack of response from everyone else behind it.
So now you’re looking at Game 5 and asking a different question: “Are they better off playing the way they did without him?”
That feels wrong to say (it probably is). Durant is still Durant.
But the version of Houston that showed up in Game 4 didn’t look like a team missing something. Defensive pressure turning into easy offense with all hands on deck. The Rockets were suddenly a well-oiled machine on both ends of the court.
The Lakers are still up 3-1. They’ve already shown they’re comfortable forcing the ball out of Durant’s hands and dealing with whatever comes next. If he does play, that’s exactly what they’re going to do again.
So if he’s limited, or not fully moving, or trying to feel his way through it, you run the risk of falling right back into the same pattern that cost them earlier in the series. That’s the Houston dilemma heading back to LA.
You want your best player on the floor, but you also just saw them play the cleanest game so far without him.
If Durant is out, Houston has a blueprint. All they have to do is stick to the game plan and actually execute.
On the off chance he does play, Houston and Udoka better have a counter ready this time.