LeBron James and Kevin Durant will relive a long-standing rivalry in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. James’ Los Angeles Lakers will face Durant and the Houston Rockets in the first round of the postseason.
It’s the fourth-seeded Lakers who will have home-court advantage against the fifth-seeded Rockets. Game 1 at Crypto.com Arena is on Saturday. This will be the latest and potentially one of the last times James and Durant will face off in the playoffs as their respective careers near their conclusion.
James, 41, is now in his 23rd season in the NBA. Durant, on the other hand, is in Year 19 and will turn 38 later this year.
A Familiar Foe
James knows Durant all too well. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer has faced off against Durant many times in the past, and James is very familiar with how he operates.
This is exactly why James admitted that the Lakers are wary of Durant in their upcoming series. At the same time, however, the 22-time All-Star made it abundantly clear that they aren’t looking past what Durant’s teammates are capable of.
“He’s the head of the snake,” James said of Durant. “But it’s the Houston Rockets and they have some damn good players on that team. So, it’s not just a KD team. … KD is going to do what KD does. … We know that. We have to prepare not only for him, but the whole group.”
The Rockets’ Supporting Cast
Durant may be the biggest name on the Rockets’ roster, but he has an elite supporting cast around him. James and Co. also have to deal with the likes of Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, to name a couple.
Sengun, a two-time NBA All-Star center, is averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. He is a skilled post scorer and playmaker who can punish smaller defenders and exploit mismatches.
Thompson, the 23-year-old rising star, is an explosive athlete who can get to the rim at will. He plays elite defense and has developed into a reliable secondary playmaker. He led the Rockets in minutes played this season and ranked among the league leaders in steals.
The Rockets also have Jabari Smith Jr., a floor-spacing forward who can knock down open threes and defend multiple positions, and Reed Sheppard, a sharpshooter off the bench who ranks in the top 10 in the league in total steals.
The Lakers’ Challenge
With Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves sidelined, the Lakers are considered the underdogs heading into the Rockets series. The Rockets are currently listed as -600 favorites to win the series.
The Lakers will rely heavily on James to carry the offensive load. Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard will take on larger ball-handling responsibilities, and the team will need contributions from role players like Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, and even Bronny James.
Defensively, the Lakers will likely double-team Durant to take the ball out of his hands, forcing the Rockets’ other players to beat them. That strategy worked in two regular-season wins over Houston in March, when the Lakers forced 36 turnovers.
But the Rockets have had time to adjust. And they have the talent to make the Lakers pay if they overcommit to Durant.
The Historical Context
James and Durant have faced each other 46 times in NBA games, with James holding a 26-20 edge. Durant leads in the postseason with a 9-5 record, a mark shaped by multiple Finals appearances.
Their first playoff clash came in the 2012 NBA Finals, when James led the Miami Heat past Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant’s move to the Golden State Warriors created the next chapter, as he faced James in multiple Finals series and secured championships in 2017 and 2018.
Now, both players approach this series at a later stage in their careers. The familiarity remains, but the context has evolved. Each possession carries a sense of urgency that did not always exist in earlier meetings.
The Verdict: A Heavyweight Battle
The Lakers are massive underdogs. The Rockets are deeper, healthier, and more talented on paper. But the playoffs are about superstars, and both teams have them.
James has been here before. He has carried teams that had no business winning. He has silenced doubters, defied Father Time, and delivered championships.
Durant is also a proven winner. He has been the best player on the floor in NBA Finals. He has hit game-winning shots in the biggest moments.
This series will be a battle of two legends. But it will also be a test of which supporting cast rises to the occasion.
Game 1 tips off Saturday. The stage is set. And the basketball world will be watching.