Two of basketball’s greatest players will renew their playoff rivalry this weekend as the Houston Rockets travel to face the Los Angeles Lakers in what could be the final postseason meeting between LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Their playoff history dates back to 2012, when James’s Miami Heat defeated Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder for James’s first NBA title. Durant got his revenge in 2017 and 2018, leading Golden State to victories over James’s Cleveland Cavaliers and capturing two championships in the process.
Now, more than a decade later, the 41-year-old James—who holds the record as the league’s all-time leading scorer—will square off against the 37-year-old Durant, who ranks fifth in NBA scoring history. Game 1 tips off Saturday night in Los Angeles.
“It’s prime time,” Houston coach Ime Udoka explained. “Two of the best, and still doing it at this stage in their careers. And they have had some battles in the playoffs, but not a ton being in the East and the West a lot. So that part alone has a lot of storylines, a lot of history. I’m sure this will add to their chapters.”
While this may represent their final spring encounter—and possibly James’s last playoff run—both veterans are focusing on the present challenge rather than dwelling on past battles.
“It’s always great playing against great players,” Durant commented. “You feel their presence on the floor, even if you’re not matched up with them. But it’s just like all basketball players know, it’s much more than just one player. You need a whole group of guys to go out there and win … but yeah, the matchup is definitely fun. Two great players who’ve been in the league for a long time. But everybody who’s involved in this series knows it’s much deeper than that.”
Their previous playoff encounters highlight how crucial supporting talent is, even for elite players. James’s Miami squad overwhelmed a young Thunder team that featured Durant alongside James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Later, Golden State assembled one of the most talented rosters in recent memory when Durant joined Stephen Curry’s squad, proving too powerful even for James, who subsequently moved to Los Angeles after his Cavaliers fell to the Warriors for the third time in four seasons.
The significance of depth explains why fifth-seeded Houston enters as the clear favorite in this series.
Los Angeles suffered devastating blows two weeks ago when NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic and productive guard Austin Reaves sustained injuries that will sideline them indefinitely.
While James once again attempts to elevate an undermanned roster beyond its natural capabilities, the industrious Rockets remain healthy around Durant, who hopes to make his first Houston postseason run memorable.
“Obviously, we know that’s the head of the snake,” James said regarding Durant. “But it’s the Houston Rockets, and they have some damn good players on their team. It’s not just a KD team. It’s the whole group. Like I said, KD is gonna do what KD does. He’s a Hall of Famer. We know that. So we have to prepare not only for him, but for the whole group.”
The Lakers haven’t provided a public timeline for their top scorers’ return, if they return at all. Doncic’s Grade 2 hamstring strain and Reaves’s Grade 2 oblique strain typically require several weeks of recovery. Though the first-round schedule includes extra rest days, that offers no guarantees.
“We’re going try to make this season as long as possible so that we can get those guys back at some point,” Lakers coach JJ Redick stated. “We don’t know what that is, but that’s just our job. And their job is to do everything they can to be in a position to come back at some point. It may not work, but that’s what we’re trying to do.”
The determined Houston squad would present challenges even if Los Angeles were at full strength, but the Rockets understand they’re facing a capable opponent motivated by widespread doubts about their ability to compete while short-handed.
Los Angeles secured home-court advantage by winning 53 games, including a pair of victories in Houston last month.
“Even though they got injuries, we’re not looking at this team like they’re not a good team,” Durant noted. “We have to show the proper respect to them as NBA players and then into the game as well. We’ve got to come out and respect these guys, because they can have that impact if we let them.”
Udoka remained secretive this week about who will start alongside Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson. Throughout the season’s final stretch, Udoka rotated between Tari Eason, Josh Okogie, and Reed Sheppard based on matchups. Okogie could earn the nod for his defensive capabilities, though his 4.5 points per game make him less attractive offensively than Sheppard (13.5 points) or Eason (10.5).
Redick has emphasized Houston’s historic rebounding dominance since practice began this week, implementing basic rebounding and boxing-out exercises that reminded his players of middle school fundamentals.
“Taking care of the basketball and boxing out. That’s the series,” Redick emphasized. “Scheme, personnel, obviously important. But if we don’t take care of the basketball and we don’t box out, we’re not going to win the series.”
Houston topped the league in total rebounds (48.1 per game) and offensive rebounds (15.0 per game). That dominance fueled much of the Rockets’ offensive production, while Los Angeles relied heavily on Doncic’s exceptional play for a significant portion of their scoring.
