Ahead of the Rockets and Lakers' Game 1 matchup, a battered and bruised Lakers team looked to be in serious trouble against Kevin Durant and the Rockets. But Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves weren't the only injured players,

Here are five takeaways from the opening weekend of the 2026 NBA playoffs. Home teams that lose Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoff series tend to bounce back big in Game 2. That reason alone is why Detroit should not panic.

A look back at the first weekend of playoff hoops as the higher seeded teams held serve across Game 1s. For the most part, at least.

The Rockets started their rebuild project back in 2020 with the trades of star guards Russell Westbrook (Washington) and James Harden (Brooklyn). What ensued was three grueling 60 loss seasons, resulting in three consecutive top four draft picks.

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant had a tough time getting through a pregame workout before Game 1 against the Lakers.

At 37, Kevin Durant continues to defy time. In his first season with the Houston Rockets, the veteran forward delivered another elite campaign, proving he remains one of the most unstoppable scorers in NBA history.

Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets reacts against the Utah Jazz during the first half of a preseason game at Toyota Center on October 08, 2025 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that,

With the attention turning away from lottery positioning to NBA playoff competition, here are 10 storylines that will define the next month or two.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke about the team’s game plan for Game 1 after learning Rockets star Kevin Durant was out.