Kevin Durant improving but Game 4 status vs. Lakers unclear as Rockets face elimination, Udoka says

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HOUSTON (AP) — Houston coach Ime Udoka said Saturday that injured star Kevin Durant was doing better but his status for Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night was still unclear with the Rockets facing elimination.

Durant missed Game 3 with a sprained left ankle on Friday night, when the Rockets blew a six-point lead with less than 30 seconds to go in regulation of an eventual 112-108 overtime loss to fall to 0-3 in the first-round series.

“He’s getting treatment still around the clock,” Udoka said. “I think there’s some soreness and (he's) pushed a lot of swelling out, but it’ll be a matter of if he can go. We’ll try it out I’m sure tomorrow morning and before the game, and we’ll know his status then.”

Udoka was asked how likely he believes it is that Durant will play Sunday as the Rockets try to avoid being swept in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

“Every day that goes by, the likelihood goes up,” he said. “But I thought he might be OK (Friday) based on shootaround and that’s different going half speed and then ramping it up right before a game. And so you really can’t tell, but he’s doing everything he can to get back.”

Durant missed the opener of the series because of a bruised right knee. He returned for Game 2, scoring 23 points in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss, during which he injured his ankle late in the game.

His injury problems this postseason came after the 37-year-old ranked second in the league in the regular season by playing 2,840 minutes.

Durant, who is in his first season in Houston after an offseason trade from Phoenix, is the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history.

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