The Lakers couldactually win this thing.
They went from being the quivering dogs in the corner to becoming wolves.
The transformation happened 1 ½ hours before tipoff when they found out thatKevin Durantwas sidelined forGame 1 of their first-round playoff seriesagainst the Rockets because of a right knee injury.
It meant a team without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) had a more even fight. It meant a team without its top two scorers had a chance. It meant a team that was dejected started believing in itself again.
The Lakers went on to win, 107-98.
The Rockets have no idea how to play without Durant. He played in 78 games this season. He missed only four contests.
His strength has now become the Rockets’ weakness.
Before tipoff, the Rockets’ locker room was silent.
Guys were looking at their phones. Or the carpet. It felt as though they were steeling themselves for a wake instead of a playoff game.
Durant suffered the injury at a team practice Wednesday after bumping knees with a teammate. He went through a pregame workout Saturday. The knee didn’t respond well.
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
