Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka addressed his team’s late-game issues after Wednesday’s 105-102 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. “I think it started midway through the third toward the end of the third and first half of the fourth. We went through a lull with playing hard enough to compete,” he said.
Udoka pinpointed turnovers and lapses in effort as key factors. “Being up 15 and even at halftime I think we had 10 at that point… 28 points off those turnovers, it’s just sting going into the break that we kind of did that to ourselves.”
He analyzed Kawhi Leonard’s impact on the game. “Obviously a talented guy… on the last one, spun away from the crowd, spun away from where the trap was, got to his open side and made a tough shot.”
Discussing consistency, Udoka emphasized effort and execution. “You go through these lows of kind of going through the motions and letting them back in the game once we went up 15… when the energy dips up and down, it’s not a great thing for us.”
The coach reflected on the team’s current position versus goals. “Got to be sharper. It all starts with effort… meeting that standard every night. If we do that, we’ve shown that we compete or beat the good teams.”
Udoka addressed the Clippers’ defensive approach against Kevin Durant. “They blitzed him every time… they’re pulling everybody in from the weak side. You got to see the third defender, and Dunn and Leonard are like free safeties back there making plays.”
On offensive adjustments, he noted the Rockets’ lineup decisions. “Alperen got hit in the calf yesterday… we wanted to keep his minutes down a little bit and run shorter stretches. The switchability on defense helped as well, helped us get back into the game.”
Despite out-rebounding Los Angeles 45-32, Houston struggled with shot selection and ball security in key moments. Udoka concluded, “You either got to hit the skip pass or be strong with the ball in the pocket… if we got it there, good things happen. But obviously way too many turnovers, and those led to direct baskets, transition points.”
The Rockets fall to 33-21, losing ground in the Western Conference, while the Clippers improve to 26-28, securing their play-in spot. Udoka’s comments underscore the importance of consistency and ball control as Houston heads into the All-Star break.
