Apr 4, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka on the sidelines against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Ime Udoka's Blunt Statement After Rockets vs Warriors

Originally posted on Golden State Warriors on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 1:02 AM ET

The Houston Rockets finished the 2023-24 season as the 11th seed in the Western Conference, missing out on a chance for the play-in tournament but showing signs of a positive future. In the 2024-25 season, they exceeded those expectations, finishing the regular season with the second-best record in the West. However, their first-round matchup was less than ideal.

In Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors in the first round, the 2022 NBA Champions took the 95-85 victory over the Rockets, spoiling their home court advantage as the experienced Warriors proved to be too much in the first game of the series. After the game, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka shared a rather blunt statement on his team's performance.

Ime Udoka says some guys had an off night offensively but they’re not going to overreact after one game. Adds that you expect to win any time you hold your opponent to 95 points; have to make shots @KHOU #LiftOff pic.twitter.com/0NMmN5ndaO
— Luis Ortiz (@OrtizSportsTV) April 21, 2025

"Not our best offensive night by any means, holding somebody to 95, you'd expect to win if you have a decent offensive night," Udoka said. The Rockets finished the regular season sixth-best scoring defense in the NBA, but their offense wasn't enough to overcome the combined effort from Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler.

Two of Houston's leading scorers, Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet, shot the Rockets out of the game with a combined 17 points on 34 shots. Even though Alperen Sengun gave Houston a good game, the poor offensive performances from his teammates held them back.