Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka at a press conference before a game against the LA Clippers at the Intuit Dome.
Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka.
Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka wasn’t happy with the result of their contest against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday. It was a tight game that resulted in a 125-124 loss for the Rockets. The Kings gave the Texas-based team a real reason to fix their struggles during overtime periods.
Kevin Durant led the team with his 24 points. But his former co-star, Russell Westbrook, spoiled his fun. Westbrook had 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, including the crucial 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime.
Aside from the 2017 MVP, backup guard Dennis Schroder was valuable for Sacramento in his 31 minutes of action off the bench. The German star had 24 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists.
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka
Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka
Following the Rockets’ loss, Udoka did not hold back in what he thought the outcome of the game should have been. The head coach said that Houston didn’t deserve to win the game and that he needs to be a better motivator for the roster.
“We didn’t really deserve to win that… I gotta do a better job of getting them motivated in games against lesser opponents,” Udoka said.
Their contest against the Kings was their fifth overtime game. The Rockets are now 1-4 in games that ended beyond the fourth quarter. Two of which were against teams below .500.
For a team that’s expected to be a title contender, Houston has underperformed against weaker opponents, resulting in a 17-9 record. They’ve gone 5-5 in their last 10 games and haven’t been consistent in taking advantage of their matchups.
The Rockets have lost to the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz. All three teams have underperformed in the 2025-26 NBA season.