Houston Rockets-Los Angeles Lakers series ‘much deeper’ than LeBron James-Kevin Durant tilt

LOS ANGELES – A pair of National Basketball Association (NBA) legends will battle once more when the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets face off in a Western Conference first-round series starting on April 18 (April 19 morning, Singapore time) in Los Angeles.

Kevin Durant led the Rockets to the fifth seed in his first season with the team, while LeBron James has helped guide the Lakers to the No. 4 seed.

However, each team could be without significant firepower in the opener.

Durant is listed as questionable due to a bruised right knee.

Meanwhile, Lakers guards Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) could end up missing the series entirely after both were injured in a 139-96 blowout loss at the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2. Both are officially out for Game 1.

The situation will thrust James back to the forefront at age 41 in his record 23rd NBA season. Even while starting the season with a sciatica injury, it did not appear as if he lost a step, with averages of 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 60 games.

“He had not a good season, not a great (one), he had a remarkable season,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. “All things considered, you take away the fact that he’s in his 23rd year and he’s 41 years old, he had a remarkable season.”

After three consecutive losses following the injuries of Doncic and Reaves, the Lakers rebounded to win their final three games of the regular season to clinch the fourth seed. It was James who pulled the group together in a team meeting to make the late push.

“He’s very vocal,” the Lakers’ Rui Hachimura said. “It’s big time for him.”

At age 37 and in his 18th season, Durant averaged 26.0 points with 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Perhaps most impressive of all was his 78 regular-season games played, his most since 2018-19.

“Of course, from the outside looking in, casual folks who are not in the life with us every day, yeah, the (play-off) matchup is definitely fun,” he said, according to The Sporting News.

“Two great players who have been in the league for a long time, but everybody who’s involved in this series knows it’s much deeper than that.”

The rebounding average was Durant’s lowest since he was a rookie with the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007-08, but staying out of the fray inside likely helped to keep him fresh. Houston had plenty of rebounding, leading the NBA at 48.1 per game and 15.0 on the offensive end.

“It’s the best rebounding team in the last 25 years,” James said, anticipating the challenge ahead.

Scoring can be a challenge for the Rockets at times, but the focus on extending possession with offensive rebounds has served them well. While the Lakers led the NBA with 50.2 per cent shooting from the floor, the Rockets were 10th at 47.9 per cent and 18th at 115.2 points per game.

Alperen Sengun was as much of an all-round threat as Durant with 20.4 points per game, leading his team in rebounding (8.9) and assists (6.2). His passing ability helped to make up for the loss of Fred VanVleet, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the pre-season.

Houston closed out the regular season by winning nine of their last 10 games, but lost twice to the Minnesota Timberwolves since March 25 and dropped consecutive games to the Lakers in March at home.

Meanwhile in the final play-in games on April 17, Jalen Green’s 36 points helped lift the Phoenix Suns into the play-offs with a 111-96 win over the visiting Golden State Warriors.

The Suns clinched the West’s eighth seed and will head to the defending champions and top-seeded Thunder on April 19 to open their first-round series.

Elsewhere, Paolo Banchero scored 25 points to lead five players in double figures for the hosts Orlando Magic, who advanced to the Eastern Conference play-offs by routing the Charlotte Hornets 121-90.

The Magic earned the No. 8 seed and will face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round.

REUTERS