The Houston Rockets had their strong momentum halted by the Golden State Warriors last night, losing 99-93 away from home. Ime Udoka had done a great job up until this point, and the loss will sting. And he went off on his players in the post-game press conference, calling out his team for being soft on the night and his star performers for not stepping up.
“Guys weren’t sharing the ball. All the things we’ve done to get a decent record have gone out of the window these last couple of games. That’s a big part of it. You have to come in with some energy from the start.”
“A few guys really didn’t look like they showed up til after halftime. Still, with all that said, we hold a team to 99. Two guys really hurt, Kuminga and Wiggins, scoring 56 of 99… One of our softest games since I’ve been here, for sure.”
Udoka is right to be frustrated with his team. Coming into last night’s game, the Rockets were 8-2 in their last 10 games. And after a crushing loss to the Kings, the Rockets needed to bounce back and win. But they weren’t able to overcome the strength of the Warriors at home.
No one on the Rockets even crossed 17 points in scoring. Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet, two of their best scorers, had bad nights. Green put up 14 points (4-16 FG), four rebounds, three assists, and four steals. VanVleet was just as bad, with 13 points (5-16 FG), four rebounds, five assists, one steal, and two blocks.
The Rockets shot poorly as a team, making just 37.6% of their shots from the field, 26.3% of their attempts from the three-point line, and 76.5% of their free-throw attempts. It was a bad night offensively from a Rockets team that has been doing really well these last few weeks.
Rockets Must Overcome This Loss
The Houston Rockets cannot let their last two losses derail the incredible start to the season they have had. Head coach Ime Udoka has finally started to get his team to click, as they sit second in the Western Conference, tied with the Mavericks and the Grizzlies with a 15-8 record this season.
Very few expected the Rockets to take such a big leap in quality this season. Despite Udoka’s hiring last year, the Rockets struggled in the West, finishing 11th and missing out on the playoffs.
With no major changes to their roster, this turnaround in form, which has seen them become one of the best teams in the West, was unforeseen, to say the least.
Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun have been the big factors in this turnaround, as the two inconsistent and underperforming youngsters have finally become the star players that the Rockets hoped they would be when they drafted them in 2021.
On top of that, the veteran presence on the team with Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green has been massive in changing the culture of the team.
The Rockets could emerge as a playoff team this season. But they must not allow any lapses in focus or gaps in their momentum.
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