Here's what we know: Kevin Durant was ruled out of Game 3 with a left ankle sprain. He walked normally into the arena. He went through his pregame routine on the court. He was ruled out close to game time.
And then, as his Houston Rockets blew a historic lead and lost in overtime to fall down 3-0 to the Lakers, Kevin Durant was nowhere to be seen. Not on the bench. Not in the tunnel. In the locker room, getting treatment.
Look, I've covered this league for a long time. I understand players get hurt. I understand treatment protocols. But when your team is fighting for its playoff life, when they're collapsing in real time, when they need every bit of leadership they can get - you show up.
"Durant's absence on the bench as his teammates fought tooth and nail to save the season only feeds into some of the negative narratives surrounding Durant and the Rockets all year," wrote William Guillory for The Athletic.
And he's right. Because here's the thing: this keeps happening. Steve Nash - fired. Monty Williams - fired. Frank Vogel - fired. Mike Budenholzer - fired. That's four head coaches in 3.5 years with KD on the roster. If Ime Udoka gets the axe after this collapse, that's five.
After the game, Udoka made his team rewatch the final moments and delivered a blunt message: "Grow up. You're not young anymore. You've been to the playoffs once before. Horrendous mistakes."
Where was Durant during that moment? Where was the veteran voice? The sage presence? The guy who's supposed to steady the ship when everything's falling apart?
The Rockets have talked all season about how injured point guard provides value from the bench as the voice who helps slow the game down for younger teammates. Why couldn't Durant do the same?
