The Lakers have a tough task ahead of them. 

Without Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique), they’re going to face Kevin Durant and the Rockets. 

Here’s what you need to know about LA’s first-round NBA Playoffs opponent:

The Rockets struggled with injuries and chemistry throughout the season, but they found their groove during the stretch run, winning eight straight games and nine of their last 10 to close the season. 

The Lakers similarly found themselves at the end of the season, going on a 15-2 run in March. But then they lost Doncic and Reaves against the Thunder on April 2. Without the 60 points that those stars provide, the team has been turned upside down.

The Rockets are surely going to try to take advantage of the Lakers’ chaos. They’ve had a lot of time to work out their kinks after losing point guard Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL in September and center Steven Adams to a left ankle surgery in January. 

Without VanVleet, turnovers were a huge issue for the Rockets — as well as blown leads and inefficiency. But lately, they’ve tightened things up. Durant has been playing MVP-caliber basketball. Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson have made leaps this season. And when Tari Eason shines, he helps open the court for everyone else. 

The Rockets are organized, deliberate and have the size and skill to dominate this series. The Lakers are best when they’re moving the ball and running, but without their top two stars, they’re going to have to play a completely different brand of basketball. 

There are two reasons this will be fun: LeBron James and Durant. 

James, in Season 23, and Durant, in Season 18, are two of the top players of this generation, and they’re still superstars at ages 41 and 37, respectively. They’re both tasked with carrying their teams’ offenses. 

They’ve met three times in the NBA Finals. James and the Heat won their first battle in 2012. Durant led the Warriors to win their other two matchups in 2017 and 2018. 

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James is arguably the greatest player of all time. Durant is arguably the greatest scorer ever. 

While the league’s young stars are taking over (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama and Doncic), this matchup will pit two of the vintage greats against each other. It could be the last time they meet in the postseason. James is going to try to keep the Lakers alive until help returns. Durant is going to try to reach the second round of the playoffs after missing the postseason the last two years with the Suns. 

It’s The King versus the Scoring Maestro. 

Should be thrilling. 

The Rockets have had their share of drama this season. In February, Durant was accused of using a burner account to take shots at his teammates over X. When questioned about the allegations, Durant told reporters, “I’m not here to get into Twitter nonsense.” It wasn’t a denial, and it led to speculation that there was dissension in the locker room. 

But over the last month, a lot of that noise quieted. The Rockets have shown discipline on defense, and their offense has been running much more smoothly. 

As for the Lakers, their main question now is whether Doncic and Reaves will return. Players are typically sidelined four to six weeks with their injuries, and Lakers coach JJ Redick said there’s no timeline for their return. But it helps that the Lakers’ first-round series is spread out, with two off days in between Games 1 and 2, as well as between Games 2 and 3 and Games 4 and 5. 

The Lakers ran over the Rockets in their last two matchups in March, when Doncic was at the peak of his scoring explosion. But without Doncic and Reaves, James just doesn’t have enough help to carry the Lakers past the Rockets, who are deeper, bigger and more physical. Now, if Doncic and Reaves return, everything changes. 

But as things stand, my guess is James is going to prove that he’s still a superstar at age 41, shattering all narratives that Father Time has even taken a swing at him over the last two decades. But ultimately, Durant and Co. will advance to the second round.