Ime Udoka tells Houston Rockets to ‘grow up’ after Lakers collapse
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka demanded his team “grow up” after a catastrophic late-game collapse saw them lose 112-108 in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers, falling into a 3-0 deficit in their first-round play-off series.
The Texan franchise inexplicably blew a six-point lead with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation time.
Friday night’s devastating defeat leaves them on the brink of elimination from the Western Conference post-season.
“Horrendous mistakes. I don’t know if you want to say youth or scared of the moment, or whatever the case.”
Ime Udoka, Houston Rockets Head Coach
James sparks dramatic late comeback
Houston initially appeared positioned to secure their first victory of the series despite playing without injured forward Kevin Durant.
The veteran superstar missed his second game of the match-up with a sprained ankle, having previously sat out the series opener due to a knee issue.
Back-to-back turnovers from LeBron James had allowed the hosts to build a commanding 101-95 advantage in the dying moments.
However, the Lakers capitalised on a late Houston error when Marcus Smart converted three free throws following a foul from beyond the arc.
Moments later, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer stripped the ball from rookie guard Reed Sheppard and drained a game-tying three-pointer with just 13 seconds left.
“It was a stupid turnover,” admitted Sheppard.
“I should have hit Alpie [Sengun] right over half-court and just made the simple play.”
Egregious errors frustrate Rockets boss
Alperen Sengun missed a potential game-winning shot for the hosts before James failed to connect on a buzzer-beater at the opposite end, forcing the extra period.
The Turkish centre had dominated for large stretches of the contest, producing a game-high 33 points and 16 rebounds.
Closing out games was a persistent issue for the Rockets during the regular season, a vulnerability that was ruthlessly exposed once again.
“It’s obviously a weakness of ours to close out and finish,” Udoka noted.
“The amount of mistakes or the type of mistakes are egregious and you can’t have those.”
Experience demands better execution
This marks the franchise’s second consecutive post-season appearance following their seven-game exit against Golden State last year.
Given that recent play-off exposure, their 46-year-old manager refused to accept youthful inexperience as a valid excuse.
“Grow up. You’re not that young anymore,” he told his locker room.
Udoka forced his squad to re-watch the final 30 seconds of regulation immediately after the buzzer to highlight their tactical failures.
It remains uncertain whether Durant will be medically cleared to participate in Sunday’s crucial Game 4, with his status described as “up in the air”.
