Surprise Kevin Durant injury could save LeBron from becoming KD’s latest career TKO

Kevin Durant's "Slim Reaper" nickname may have been more literal than we previously thought. Ahead of the Houston Rockets' playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, a fan pointed out how LeBron James could be the latest NBA legend to suffer their final playoff series loss at the hands of KD. He did it to Kobe Bryant in 2012, Dirk Nowitzki in 2016 and Tim Duncan in 2016 as well.

"LeBron you can run but you can't hide," @freewrlld tweeted on Friday night.

That may ultimately be true, but it was a declaration made before the surprising announcement on Saturday that Durant would miss Game 1 in Los Angeles with a knee injury.

Kevin Durant injury update: Tender knee will keep Rockets star out for Game 1

Durant is day-to-day with a knee injury he suffered during Wednesday's practice. The star forward hit his knee above his patella tendon, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka told the media about an hour before tipoff. Imaging didn't raise any significant red flags, but the knee is apparently tender and tight enough to keep Durant out for at least the first game if not more.

What Kevin Durant's injury means for the Lakers' chances vs. the Rockets

The Lakers are beat up entering the series. Los Angeles won't have Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves because of a hamstring and oblique strain respectively. It's highly unlikely Reaves will be back in time to play unless LA advances. Doncic has a chance to play late in the series but that's also up in the air.

On the other side of things, the Rockets looked relatively healthy coming in. Durant's injury changes that obviously, evening the playing field even if it's just a little bit.

Durant is averaging 26 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the field and 41 percent from beyond the arc. His absence on the offensive end will be difficult to fill, especially given how efficient he's been as a shooter and how much he's facilitated his teammates.

LeBron is only averaging 20.8 points per game, the second-lowest mark of his career. However, he's been able to take a back seat to other stars in the lineup. Since losing Reaves and Dončić, he's averaging 23.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 9.2 assists per game.

Durant's injury makes it more likely the Lakers can steal game one, especially with their home court advantage. However, they'll still have to contend with Alperen Şengün (even if he can be part of the problem a lot of the time) and Amen Thompson. The Rockets are 4-0 without Durant this season, for the record.

In any case, the spread in favor of the Rockets has gone down to 2.5 points.

We also can't overlook the pressure this puts on LeBron and the Lakers. If they don't win this one without Durant on the floor, they might as well pack it in.

Will Kevin Durant play in Game 2 of the Lakers vs. Rockets playoff series?

It's not clear whether KD will suit up for Game 2. He'll have a few days to rest up that knee with Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday, Apr. 21 in Los Angeles.

If he missed Game 2, that would be greater cause for concern because it suggests a more severe injury like a bone bruise. Game 3 isn't until Friday, Apr. 24 back in Houston. He'd have a full week of recovery to make it back for that game instead, but a bone bruise could take another week to heal.

The first round features a seven-game series, so Durant missing a couple of games wouldn't be the end of the world. Even if the Rockets dropped the first two games on the road, they'd head back home with the chance to even the series on their home court.

The problem comes if Durant returns but is still feeling the effects of the knee injury. He could play at diminished capacity — or worse, suffer a more significant injury because of the change to his gait.

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