Ime Udoka raves about Amen Thompson after win over Suns

Ime Udoka raves about Amen Thompson after win over Suns

How’d you feel about the execution the last 5 minutes um decent I think um you know we got better in that after the first part of the fourth quarter we settled in a little bit I mean they got guys that can create shots um the execution on fouling

Up three was good I think we did what we wanted to there um you know take it back to the Portland game or other games where we tried to do it and couldn’t execute it different times on the clock but I think that execution was decent um

And then and you know we like to get it to the specific guys for the foul shots and we couldn’t quite get it to Fred sometime but other guys stepped up and made him and obviously we missed a few as well though how did jaar’s rebounding especially later in the game impact you

Guys it was big I think um we that was one of them emphasis at halftime I think they had eight eight offensive rebounds after the first quarter 11 at halftime they finished the game with 19 so we got a little bit better in the second half

But um yeah those guys a few guys were standing around watching and we wanted them to get in involved and get inside and I think he used his length and athleticism I’m in as well came in and helped and so that was much better in the second half like I said I think

They’re up 32 to 14 at a point on the glass and we ended up 54 to 58 so we closed the Gap in the second half and due to the our offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds hey coach um what gave you the confidence to um stick with alond Thompson in the fourth quarter

Well he was playing quite frankly I mean um his activity like I said before the game he’s growing on a nightly base and gives us a ton of Versatility the other piece is obviously Dylan got his fourth foul so you want another defender in there with Booker and Durant out there

And so um Jabari did a decent job on on Durant and we liked his length and athleticism on Booker but you know he blocked Booker’s jump shot he blocked the Durant jump shot and he blocked the B jump shot so those are rare for guys to block those guys and his activity on

Both ends was great when you look at the turnarounds in the first quarter and then again in the second half how instrumental was he in this I’m in yes yeah he’s a big piece of it I think the whole bench unit in general came in gave

Us a spark U you didn’t obviously start our best again um we had I think six points at the six minute Mark and so you know missing some easy shots but turned the ball over they got out and got some you know had a 16-point lead early so I

Think our bench came in and sparked us and you know cut the cut the deficit but also just gave us some much needed energy confidence athleticism and so a in was a big piece of that for most of the season when you didn’t have Dylan it

Would be Tate in those minutes what gave you the confidence that a men could play the wing for you well me he pretty much can go one through four and um guard all those positions so uh for him it’s it was a matter of being injured early not

Being in the rotation obviously um for those 20 plus games and so little by little the more he’s playing the more confidence he’s getting and and that’s one thing we always said translated to the NBA right away was his defensive uh versatility athleticism and so you’re seeing that

After say after that second unit came in and gave you all some energy to be able to get back into the game when the starting unit got back in I’ve noticed that Fred was pushing the pace a little bit more was that something that you all discussed while they were on the bench

No we we talked about it coming out Allstar break for these last 28 games we want to increase our Pace um you know there a few benchmarks that we wanted to try to hit and you know getting 43s up per game we got 45 tonight and got 40

Plus yesterday um pushing the pace offensive rebound so a few things that we really discussed and um I think our first unit is not the most natural running group I mean you got alpie out there you got Fred and some guys that don’t play at that pace but I think he’s

Been doing a great job and even against New Orleans last night you saw the pace increased as much the priorities just to get the W is it beneficial to go those last five minutes with that kind of team that’s an experience yeah I mean I think they’re all good that they’re you know

Certain ones are more satisfying to dig them out this certain way especially being down 16 once you get back up 14 you’d like to keep the lead obviously not make it that close but um you know we knew they were going to make a run

They got guys that can score that um you know at a high level and so Durant and Booker are going to get it going at some point and they came out the start of the fourth quarter and and kind of cut the lead um but it’s always good for

Experience to to do it that way but you’d like to be a little more comfortable also once this team has settled down between like the second and fourth quarter is that what you saw when you back compare the first 27 game where you like the competitiveness and how

Complete this team is f yeah I think um even you know throughout the season even in the second half of the year we you when we got in these deficits and these holes we would fight our way out um you don’t you want to try to avoid those get

Off to better starts and tonight was an example of that but um the fight has always been there the competitiveness and our effort I think the starts had been much better uh the first half of the season so um you know we’ve seen a little bit of both great starts at times

But also Al us getting our way fighting our way back into games and that’s what we did tonight credit to the bench and then starters came in and some guys woke up there as well Jaylen didn’t get a chance to play a lot of minutes in the

Fourth quarter were you just trying to mix and match some of the lineups yeah big part was like I mentioned uh defensively uh I’m in and how how versatile he is and what he was doing Dylan being out and them having Booker and Durant um you know we started the

Quarter with Aaron to give Fred a break and they picked on him a little bit there he got the the foul um gave up a three with the Grayson Allen and the blow by dunk Miss dunk by Grayson Allen so we want to have sides in there in

General and so until we could get Dylan back in man was the best uh best player to do that thanks thanks thank thank you

Houston Rockets Fan Information Source

Ime Udoka talks to reporters after the Houston Rockets beat Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns on 2/23/2024. Udoka raved about Amen Thompson and his impact after Thompson scored 15 points and grabbed 10 boards. Fred VanVleet led the Rockets with 23 points while Jabari Smith Jr. had 22 points and 16 boards. Alperen Sengun finished with 17 points and 12 boards.