The Houston Rockets suffered a disappointing 101-94 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, giving up a 2-0 lead to the Purple and Gold in the first round of the playoffs. Although Tuesday night’s defeat raises some concerns for Kevin Durant and the Rockets before they head home for the next set of games, none may be as pressing as the growing frustrations within the unit.
Despite playing against a shorthanded Lakers team, the Houston Rockets looked out of sync. After being outscored 33-26 in the first quarter, along with the pent-up frustration from the previous loss, matters reached a breaking point.
While the Rockets were chipping away at a 15-point deficit in the second quarter, Durant hit a big shot to bring the lead down to single digits (40-49). In the moments leading up to this basket, however, Rockets guard Reed Sheppard attempted an ill-advised three-pointer in transition.
While this wouldn’t be an issue in the modern game, the fact that Sheppard overlooked Kevin Durant, who was in a position to score a wide-open layup, garnered a heated reaction from the superstar.
Durant eventually cleaned up Sheppard’s miss by securing the offensive rebound and scoring, but he was visibly frustrated with the sophomore guard on his way back down the floor.
Reed Shephard took a TERRIBLE shot and KD was PISSED 😭
“PASS THE ROCK” pic.twitter.com/2U6tKjU2IX
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) April 22, 2026
Kevin Durant has typically been extremely supportive of Reed Sheppard and has even shared glowing reviews about his development. However, given how detrimental this error could have been, it was apparent that Durant was beyond frustrated.
Much like Kevin Durant, Rockets big man Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason also got into a heated argument on the Rockets’ bench in the third quarter.
With a seven-point difference, the Rockets were within striking distance of the Lakers. Although Houston had a golden opportunity to make it a two-possession game, Sengun’s overeagerness while crashing the boards was ruled an offensive goaltending violation.
While no words were said at the time, when both teams headed to the bench during the timeout, Sengun and Eason could be seen yelling at each other, highlighting how volatile matters had become.
The Rockets were LITERALLY on the bench FIGHTING 😩
KD firing up the burner tonight 😭 pic.twitter.com/dBS6ARbMR7
— Hater Report (@HaterReport) April 22, 2026
Given the competitive environment of the playoffs, tempers are bound to flare between teammates. But given the circumstances surrounding the Rockets, there is reason to believe that this could indicate potential collapse.
After Kevin Durant’s burner account controversy, the Rockets were perceived as a team on the brink of falling apart.
Teammates such as Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. were among those mentioned in posts from Kevin Durant’s alleged burner account. Considering the impact this may have had on the team, a trigger like the losses from the last two games may be enough to set things off again.
At the moment, the Rockets’ priority will be to get things back on track and ensure the team resolves any pre-existing issues before proceeding. With an opportunity to defend home court and potentially level the series, Houston should revisit their game plan to keep their postseason aspirations alive.
