Houston head coach Ime Udoka cited carelessness and execution errors as the main reasons for the Rockets’ 100-92 loss to the Lakers on Monday. “Careless with the ball… 8-second violations, half court violations… and then when we did turn over, we had obviously way too many in the second half. Seventeen there,” Udoka said.
He acknowledged that handling defensive pressure has been an ongoing issue. “It’s been an issue a lot of the year… some of our early losses were because of that. We got to get guys in the pocket that are confident, make plays… either take a shot, find somebody on the perimeter, attack the basket,” Udoka explained.
On Luka Doncic’s offensive performance, Udoka noted, “He made some tough shots early… some of the miscommunication on the wide open threes he got were lack of communication, not talking as much. He just got his way with our guys one-on-one when he got the opportunity.”
Udoka also discussed Tari Eason’s shooting slump, emphasizing player responsibility. “It is what it is… you’re getting open looks, can’t ask for much better than that. You have to work your way out of it or find other ways to impact the game,” he said.
Regarding Kevin Durant’s role as primary ball handler, Udoka described a flexible approach. “You want him bringing the ball up, but you also want different guys handling him, setting screens… a combination of both where you don’t just want him with the ball every time, especially if you’re not making the team pay for that,” he said.
Udoka praised the Rockets’ first-half execution despite the loss. “Did a really good job in the first half with only six turnovers… to give up 17 in the second half for 14, 15 points… obviously, that was a game right there,” he said, highlighting the impact of second-half mistakes.
The Rockets remained competitive behind balanced scoring from Jabari Smith Jr. (22 points) and Amen Thompson (19 points, 12 rebounds), but Houston struggled from three-point range, connecting on just 5-of-26 attempts. Kevin Durant added 18 points but committed seven turnovers under consistent Lakers pressure.
Udoka emphasized that improving ball handling and communication is crucial for postseason readiness. “We’ve been seeing it all year… something we have to get better at first, making the pass and taking care of the ball, and then people making plays behind it when they double and put bodies on Kevin,” he said.
Houston dropped to 41-26, 1.5 games behind the Lakers for third place in the Western Conference. The teams will meet again Wednesday in Houston to close out the two-game series, with seeding implications still at stake.
