Ime Udoka keeps door open for Kevin Durant’s return for Game 5

The Houston Rockets bought Kevin Durant some more time to recover from his ankle injury after taking down the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of their first-round series on Sunday.

With their 115-96 win over LA at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, the Rockets avoided a series sweep and kept alive their hope of seeing Durant suit up for at least one more time in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. 

After Game 4, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka hinted at the possibility of Durant returning to the lineup for Game 5 on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.

“Kevin Durant’s status is game-to-game per Ime Udoka. He has not been ruled out for the series,” Vanessa Richardson of ESPN shared via a post on X.

Durant sat out Game 1 of the series with a knee issue before playing in Game 2, where he scored 23 points. However, he sat out again for Game 3 due to an ankle injury. 

With Houston facing elimination on Sunday, Durant missed yet another game, though the Rockets found a way to survive, thanks to the collective effort of his healthy teammates.

No team in NBA history has won a series after opening it with three straight losses, but the Rockets’ chances of pulling off a miracle should increase if Durant plays in Game 5.

No team in NBA history has come back to win a series after losing the first three games, but the Rockets’ chances of pulling off a miracle would increase if Durant plays in Game 5.