One of the main stories coming into this playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets was the latest meeting between two of the best players of their generation in LeBron James and Kevin Durant. And while James shined as the Lakers’ took a 2-0 series lead, the team’s defensive efforts against Durant caused a lot of issues.
James finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the Lakers’ victory, and while Durant scored 23 on the night, just three of those came in the second half while he also committed a playoff career-worst nine turnovers. But James also made it clear that he and the Lakers should get no satisfaction from their Game 2 performance, as it will only make Durant that much more focused come Game 3.
“None. That just makes him even madder going into Game 3,” James said after the win. “No satisfaction. You know, we did our job. We did that. But the guy’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and he’s going to make way more great plays than not. So, we don’t have no satisfaction… That game is over and done with, but it’s still a tall challenge — 7-foot tall, too… He hates that. He might be mad at me if he sees that. He wants to be 6-9 or 6-10 so bad, but he’s 7-foot for sure.”
Durant and the Rockets will undoubtedly make some adjustments to the Lakers’ defensive game plan as they aggressively trapped and double-teamed him all night long. While the Lakers did a great job on Tuesday night, Durant is more than capable of a massive scoring night in Game 3, so the Lakers must remain locked in.
And James understands the matchup of himself vs. Durant will continue to be a major talking point as their history and stories of their journeys stretch back so long and gets the fans excited.
“I just think it’s just the, I mean it’s the stories,” James added. “You guys have seen us play for so long. They followed us since high school or maybe even before that so you know, the storytelling is what a lot of fans and what a lot of people gravitate towards because they’ve seen our journey. They’ve seen our ups, they’ve seen our downs, and everything in between.
“And I think that’s what makes certain guys, certain matchups, that fans kind of attract to because of the journey and the storytelling. So from a fan’s perspective, I think that’s what that’s about. From a competitive standpoint, to play against one of the greats to ever play this game is always an honor and it’s always a treat so I don’t take that for granted.”
This is actually the first time these two have faced off in the playoffs that isn’t an NBA Finals. James and Durant met in the Finals in 2011, 2017 and 2018 so facing off under the brightest of lights is nothing new for these two and something they will always embrace.
Kevin Durant discusses how he can be better against Lakers defense
The Lakers’ defensive effort against Durant in Game 2 was outstanding and one of the biggest reasons they came away with a victory. And the Rockets superstar knows he has to be better against the double-teams and traps if he hopes to turn things around.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
