Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka addressed defensive breakdowns after their 115-113 overtime loss to Golden State on Thursday at Toyota Center. “It was all game long on and off ball. Not communicating, not being physical into the ball… basic stuff that we should have taken care of by now,” Udoka said.
He pinpointed the lack of communication as the main issue. “I feel like I’m louder than a lot of guys on the court from the sideline and guys aren’t hearing it, guys aren’t switching, getting hit unders and slip outs,” Udoka explained.
Udoka spoke about Reed Sheppard’s 30-point performance, emphasizing growth rather than blame. “Reed is learning on the fly, growing in that area, but it wasn’t just Reed by any means. It was a lot of guys,” he said, highlighting team-wide lapses.
On Alperen Sengun’s struggles near the rim, Udoka noted, “Gave him great looks and once he usually converts, but wasn’t just him. A lot of guys had poor shooting nights.” He stressed that missed opportunities were a collective issue rather than an individual failure.
The coach explained lineup adjustments late in the game. “Reed obviously had it going again there and Tari had some foul trouble, so we went with a different lineup… who ends the game and plays well is going to be in at the end and Reed did that,” Udoka said.
He also addressed March-specific challenges in improving on-court communication. “Some are saying they’re hearing me more on the sideline than in the game… you got to communicate that those out. Golden State’s a really good offball team and that has hurt us at times,” he noted.
The Rockets trailed late in regulation before Golden State’s Al Horford hit a three-pointer to take a 101-99 lead, forcing overtime after a turnover. Brandon Podziemski led the Warriors with 26 points, while De’Anthony Melton added 23. Horford scored 17, helping control the paint in Kevin Durant’s absence.
Houston struggled despite Sheppard’s scoring and Durant’s 23 points. Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson contributed late, but turnovers and defensive lapses in overtime proved costly. The Rockets finished 46% from the field and 41% from three-point range while committing 17 turnovers.
The loss drops Houston to 38-23, fourth in the Western Conference, while Golden State improves to 32-30. The Rockets will host Portland on Friday, and Golden State travels to Oklahoma City on Saturday.
