The Houston Rockets suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Sacramento Kings in overtime. It was a loss that moved the Rockets to sixth in the Western Conference standings. The Kings have the second-worst offense in the NBA, so losing to them didn’t sit well with Ime Udoka.
Houston still has a top-five offense and defense, and they are just one of two teams with that distinction. Yet, Udoka was furious that his team was not able to beat a team like the Kings. Sacramento is tied for the worst record in the Western Conference.
After the game, Udoka took a major shot at the Kings in a frustrated rant to the media.
GettyHouston Rockets coach Ime Udoka stares at the court. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Houston Rockets Coach Ime Udoka Takes Big Shot at the Kings
Udoka talked about how the Rockets should have been better prepared for an opponent of Sacramento’s skill level, as they are one of the worst teams in the league.
“We didn’t really deserve to win that… I gotta do a better job of getting them motivated in games against lesser opponents.”
It’s pretty clear that Udoka doesn’t respect what the Kings are able to do on the basketball court, despite just falling to them. Sacramento has had trouble winning games consistently all year long, but it still has players who have won a lot of games over the years.
Russell Westbrook is a former MVP. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine have scored a lot of points over their careers, as well. While the Kings are without Domantas Sabonis, they are still playing hard in certain matchups. This was obviously one of them.
Houston has struggled to play against teams further down in the Western Conference standings. In the month of December, they have losses to the Kings, Jazz, Mavericks, and Pelicans. Udoka is clearly frustrated with what he thinks is a lack of focus against teams like this.
GettyHouston Rockets forward Kevin Durant dribbles the ball. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The Rockets Need to Play Better Against Lesser Competition
In a very competitive Western Conference, Udoka is well aware of the fact that his team can’t lose games like this. Houston is barely out of the play-in if the season were to end today, despite their strong offensive and defensive numbers. Losing games against the worst teams in the conference will catch up with them.
The Rockets have some assets to make a trade at the trade deadline if they so choose, but they will likely stay pat. The only move they could consider making is to bring in another point guard. Yet, the current roster has done a good job of developing chemistry together quickly.
Udoka hasn’t been able to get his team to focus in games against some of the worst teams in the league. Adding that focus will be paramount to Houston getting home-court advantage for the playoffs once April rolls around. Perhaps adding a veteran point guard would help the team generate more focus.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Houston Rockets’ Ime Udoka Takes Massive Shot at Kings After Loss appeared first on Heavy Sports.