Rockets star Kevin Durant returned from a knee injury to play in Game 2 against the Lakers, but Houston's poor shooting performance continued to plague the team. Despite Durant's return, the Lakers were the more efficient shooting team for the second consecutive game. L.A. knocked down nearly twice as many 3-pointers as Houston, despite Houston's dominance in the paint battle and second-chance points. Durant has now lost seven consecutive playoff games, with his last win coming against the Nuggets in 2023. The highest scorer outside of Durant was Alperen Şengn, who finished with 20 points on 9 of 20 shooting.