Ime Udoka after Jalen Green, Rockets crush Cavs

Ime Udoka after Jalen Green, Rockets crush Cavs

Coach can you just talk about the way that Fred was able to facilitate this game tonight yeah that’s what he’s done all season um you know obviously the assist assist numbers are really high half um and finished with 15 but I think you know he had 10 or so around half um

Getting everybody in their spots I think uh we us playing fast was beneficial 14 fast break points in the first half as well and so kick ahads a reads a rim re are on point tonight so it wasn’t just Fred everybody else made the right reads

When Allen came to make plays we found our outlets and shot the ball well how do you feel about the progress just sort of retooling the offense to whatever degree you have in a week yeah it’s been good but we’ve had some practice at it honestly you know

When alp’s not in we’ve had a lot of similar lineups with Jeff at the five and so doesn’t change as far as that but Jabari being a different pick and pop threat I think is really beneficial especially against teams that play double Bigs like they do so had some

Practice with it um have looked good but you even before alpi went out you know like I said the pace increas in Pace has been really been good for our guys and you know let’s carry over from that tonight probably our most complete game of the season front to back how do you

Feel about the defensive performance that you guys had especially in the first half where it seemed like that kind of set the tone yeah it was great I think you know when you look at the last game against him specifically hitting 193s and the numbers that they get up U

Only getting up 38 tonight but um you know the job on Mitchell and was really good um 4 for 13 there 5 for 13 you know he had 37 on us last time so the focus was was right I think the switching affected them and forced them to play a

Lot more one-on-one and you know did a good job with all the bodies we had so loved our effort uh defensively from the start and specifically in the third quarter to come out with that start and really kind of put it away early there was a great U Win For Us saw something

This evening actually jaylen’s one of the most efficient Shooters in basketball when teams sag under that screen is that something that you are encouraging him to do to really take advantage when defenses want to stop him from going to the rim yeah absolutely I think all year um you know that read has

Been big for him recognizing when teams do go under and you know knocking it down confidently and then the big comes up they start to chase over they can use the speed to get downhill but that’s that’s been a growth thing for him as far as reading them going under even

When he reads a little bit late he still has time to pop back and take that shot and so just the fact that he’s looking for it there um and knocking it down at that clip it will open everything up for him to build the lead that you had at

Halftime to start the third quarter how does that just show the progress that this group has made yeah and you know we talked about it you know we were holding them down obviously and and Mitchell and and Garland had got it going and we understood they were going to come out

Very aggressive and so we wanted to come out and be the team to hit first and it was good to see us come out 9 to2 and force that early timeout from them um and yeah growth in general at times we’ve gone back and forth had some cold

Third quarter so it was good to come out on the other side of that and the focus and physicality intensity was good you T talked a lot about the physicality level just over the last seven eight games are you are you seeing them turn a corner in

That aspect yeah I think uh the communication the switching and all our rotations have been really good there and so um you know we talk about making tees uh make plays and not run plays so we take them out of their their initial and they have to beat us one-on-one we

Have all that you know length and versatility out there I think it really helps us and so um I’ve seen Improvement as far as that just in general like I said even even after Allstar break we kind of got back to guarding uh like we were capable of and so good carry over

There you know hold the team around 100 High Caliber offense like them uh was a good thing for us Jaylen finishing the way he has started before Alie got hurt but is it that much easier with one less big body in the lane or if there is one

Less body in the lane is is that what’s led to this well the spacing is different like you said now um especially the threat of those guys you know picking and popping and shooting I’m man occupy some of the same space but um it’s just I think honestly a big

Part is’s having the ball more you know I we’re not running as much through Alpa he’s going to get the Reps there and but you got to be confident and be able to read and knock it down and facilitate as well so to your point he was doing it

Before ala even went down so it’s not like um the spacing was different there I think the threats of both those guys and um Fred as well just opens up everything for us when they’re all three rolling thanks thank you

Houston Rockets Fan Information Source

Ime Udoka speaks to reporters after the Houston Rockets crushed the Cleveland Cavaliers on 3/16/2024. Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr and Dillon Brooks all stepped up big in the game.