Photos by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
The Houston Rockets are ahead of schedule to some degree in Ime Udoka’s first season as head coach, but that isn’t stopping him from calling out the team following a lopsided 133-110 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Udoka told reporters after the game the Rockets “looked like deer in headlights” and were “either soft or scared.”
Will Kunkel @WillKunkelFOX
Ime Udoka on the Rockets tonight:
“The moment was too big for a lot of players out there. Looked like deer in headlights. Looked either soft or scared. Didn’t rise up to the moment, like I thought we would.”
DAMN.
🧻🧻🧻 pic.twitter.com/XioHWUIsrE
The Rockets fell behind by 14 points midway through the first quarter and never found their footing. They allowed the Warriors to shoot 58.8 percent from the field, including 17-of-35 from beyond the arc. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis all scored at least 20 points for Golden State.
Udoka’s frustration is understandable given the stakes of the game.
Entering the night, Houston trailed Golden State by three games for the final play-in berth. This was an opportunity for the Rockets to not just shrink the gap on the 10th-place team but also make a bit of a statement.
Instead, they were handily outclassed and some of the postgame discourse centered around the bold trash talk made through the sartorial choices of forward Tari Eason.
Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
“That’s pretty lame. Especially if you’re not even playing … you’re just gonna be trolling from the sideline. Bro, what are we doing?”
Klay addresses Tari Eason’s “Warriors, come out to play” video 👀
(via @NBCSWarriors) pic.twitter.com/XiHIBlnhvy
Udoka’s squad is now four games back of the Warriors with six to play. Houston is mathematically still in the race, but Thursday’s defeat was a potentially fatal blow to its postseason hopes.
There are plenty of positives for the Rockets to take away from this season. Assuming they finish 11th or worse, their players and coaches still might look back and wonder what could’ve been.
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