Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka praised his team’s composure in the final minutes of a 122-115 road victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday at Fiserv Forum.
“We defended at a high level…spacing was good, and when we didn’t get it, offensive rebounds were really good in the second half,” Udoka said.
Udoka highlighted the improvement in turnovers, noting a drop from 12 in the first half to six in the second. “That was a huge emphasis going into the second half,” he explained, crediting the adjustment for giving Houston a chance to secure the win.
Alperen Sengun’s physicality was also a key factor. Udoka said, “He guarded Giannis 101 pretty much…him and KD really played well off each other and came through big in the fourth quarter.” Sengun finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
Reed Sheppard’s defensive growth drew praise as well. “He’s getting more comfortable and confident…even bigger guys were asking him to shoulder the load a little bit,” Udoka said, highlighting his hands and ability to create transition opportunities.
The Rockets’ offensive boards played a decisive role in wearing down Milwaukee. “It’s tough to defend certain guys…Steven [Adams] takes up two or three guys most of the time and it’s free lanes for other guys to clean up,” Udoka said. Houston grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, including five from Adams.
Udoka also discussed halftime adjustments. “We showed at half just penetrating one or two more…keep it simple when the double teams come,” he explained. The emphasis on taking care of the ball helped Houston limit second-half turnovers and execute better shots.
Kevin Durant led the Rockets with 31 points and a season-high seven assists, hitting the decisive jumper in the closing minutes. Jabari Smith Jr. and Sheppard each scored 16 to help Houston overcome a deficit that lasted most of the night. Amen Thompson added 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Udoka noted that matchups against European players added extra motivation but stressed it didn’t define the game. “Alpi tries to go at everybody every night…he takes pride in that, wanted to guard him down the stretch and did a good job on both ends,” Udoka said.
Houston improved to 6-3 and will return home for three straight games starting Wednesday against the Washington Wizards. Milwaukee fell to 6-4 and will travel to face the Dallas Mavericks on Monday.
