Ime Udoka after Rockets tough loss to Philly

Ime Udoka after Rockets tough loss to Philly

In the final play what were you looking for in that final possession a quick shot from Jaylen if not running into a big pick and roll um either for his shot or the pick and pop and I felt we they took away the initial one they switched

It and he came off I I thought he had a chance to get the three off um pass it up and once jock had inside obviously you got to find a shooter we need a three-pointer was was Jack in in order to set that screen yes that was the reason to choose

Over J yeah I know a lot of gun he made about the final Playbook U what transpired in the fourth quarter alone uh we couldn’t really get stops I think we obviously HT us at the start I think we had n eight npoint lead and uh felt

Like we lost those non Maxi minutes early um uh but turnovers you know we had 17 for the game and that’s what allowed them to get back in the game in the first half and in the fourth quarter but you know transition opportunities where we can go score I think Fred w

There Jaylen went off his knee um the first play with Aaron and and um Jeff so we had to challenge so a lot of turnovers to start but even at that point when we got back in the game either had a a lead or a small deficit

We went after Maxi some and got them to miss some shots and we just could to come up with the rebound and so it felt like they got every loose ball 50-50 ball and hit some crucial threes what made the zone so difficult to run the offense against that was more than a

Zone they were running some triangle and two so it wasn’t just a typical two three but um a lot of times in the zone you know we just they want to break up Rhythm we get good shots and they they run it one or one or two times um I think it was

More of the triangle and two where they were taking trying to take Alper in away specifically um you know decent looks I felt we passed up some threes um some guys traveled or or passed up and d drove into the crowd and you know we’ve been emphasizing take those shots when

They’re open and I think on the other end that’s what that’s what Philly did when we doubled Maxi they got some open shots and they hit him the triangle in two possessions looked like he decided at some point just to attack them was that something he needed to see them a

Few times earlier and then make that adjustment about yeah yeah we just put him in the middle was harder to obviously double there and if they want to go uh isolation T triangle and two on him he can have the isolation at the elbow where it’s harder double in on the

Block so I think we got into it uh well and he got his plays there and you know they got some am ones and uh got some good shots there but yeah we just moved around a little bit where it was harder to double in there I think you were

Referenced a couple days ago they need to shoot more three corters for this team offensively is that something that have to grow into or is there something that’s kind of missing there in terms of what their interpreting on the court offensive L I think it’s I I don’t

Really think you have to grow into it you just have to be aggressive and confident and not pass up those shots and so um I now Aaron had one in the in the corner he passed up and drove into the crowd Jaan as well I’m sorry uh tar

When he traveled one time so um for us it’s like I say all the time you’re going to get that first good look and you might not get another one and so we want guys to step up confidently knock him down and something we’ve been preaching is getting our numbers up from

The three-point line did you like the way Jaylen played yeah he was aggressive he made some good passes uh good plays in general and so um you just hate to lose a game like this when him alprin and uh and Fred play at that high level

Feels like a wasted game for those three are you starting to see him kind of maybe get back to the form that he was in the start of the year yeah I think um you know he’s he’s come out more aggressive from the start uh found his

Spots but’s the balance is there as well so he hit alpia a bunch of times in the pocket made DEC decent reads out of it and uh they blitzed him a lot in the pick and roll he made the right read and found the guy in the middle and from

There you just have to obviously make the shot we missed some threes out of their double teams and and they hit them and that was a difference in the game thank you coach

Houston Rockets Fan Information Source

Ime Udoka talks to reporters after the Houston Rockets lost to the Philadelphia Sixers without Joel Embiid on 12/29/2023. Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet and Alperen Sengun all had big games.