Episode Details

Losing Kevin Durant for Game 1 had a profound impact on the Rockets not just because suddenly they had 25-30 points to replace. 

Durant's presence (or lack thereof) changes the dynamic of how the Lakers can attack the Rockets, how their length and size can bother them, and how the Rockets can in turn attack the Lakers. It makes it easier for LA to play Luke Kennard bigger minutes without as much punishment defensively. It makes it harder for them to attack LeBron defensively, which makes it easier for James to control things on the other end. It makes their remaining stars less effective because their shot quality goes down. It makes those guys less confident in what they're doing, because unlike the Lakers, who have played many games without Luka, LeBron and Austin througout the year, Houston has had KD available for all but four games in the regular season. 

So whether or not Durant plays in Game 2 because incredibly critical, for all the obvious reasons... but for some that aren't so obvious, either. 

Meanwhile, the blueprint for the Lakers and LeBron in G1 was letter perfect. Control the game, without having to carry a huge load scoring points. 

Can Houston interrupt that rhythm in Game 2? 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: Less obvious ways losing KD hurts the Rockets. 

SEGMENT 2: Stuff the Lakers can do better. 

SEGMENT 3: How Houston might try to contain LeBron's game management. 

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