Kevin Durant didn’t have answers after the Houston Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. After scoring 16 points in the first half, the Lakers continued to double-team Durant. In the second half, they made 1 of 5 shots and made 6 turnovers, scoring only 2 points.
“I don’t know,” Durant said after the game when asked how he avoided a doubleheader.
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This must be unsettling for anyone in Houston who thinks Durant is the only answer to the team’s biggest problem.
A year ago, the Rockets had the league’s second-best record with a top-five defense. With more offense, there’s reason to expect them to take another leap forward in 2025-26. This is why the team traded Durant.
The sixth scoring leader in NBA history played his role well. Durant averaged 51/40/89 points and nearly 26 points per game. However, things didn’t get better for the Rockets. In fact, they may have gone backwards. Their record is 41-26, one game behind last year. Any slight improvement on offense (1.3 points per 100 possessions) is offset by a decrease on defense (1.9 points per 100 possessions).
To make matters worse, the Rockets were terrible when it mattered most (the last five minutes of the fourth quarter/overtime). According to NBA.com, they rank seventh-worst in the league in clutch net rating (-7.3), the most glaring of which is their lack of a true point guard.
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“Honestly, it all depends on me,” Durant said. “I’m the offense. And the other team is going to use all their resources to not make me feel comfortable.”
The Rockets are still fourth in the Western Conference, but their first-round exit in last year’s playoffs proved that record doesn’t necessarily matter. If they don’t figure out how to generate more offense, they’ll go home early again. We’ll wonder why we thought a 37-year-old was the missing link.
2027 Best Picture Oscar Contenders
Who will follow “One Piece” to compete for the best picture in 2027?
As the 2026 Oscars approach, FTW’s Cory Woodroof casts a crystal ball to predict which movies will compete for the 2027 Best Picture award.
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The result is this list of 40 movies, including some of Christopher Nolan’s early best picks:
“Right now you can buy ‘The Odyssey’ for $5 and it’s nominated for Best Picture. Given Nolan’s stellar track record and recent Oscar success, this is probably the only movie on this list that we’re confident about. ‘The Odyssey’ is exactly the kind of big-budget directorial swing the Oscars are crazy about…if it’s good. Considering Nolan’s Oppenheimer just won Best Picture a few years ago, and there are 10 nominees in the field, Odyssey It feels like a lock…an invisible sight. “
As for who might host the show in 2027, these seven are worth considering.
Input-output: Michael B. Jordan takes his Oscar to grab a bite to eat
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This article originally appeared in To Win: Houston’s problems are too big for Kevin Durant to solve