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Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was blunt after his team's 95-85 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Western Conference's No. 2 seed dominated Game 1 from a physicality standpoint. Unfortunately, the shots were not falling for the Rockets, and they now find themselves in a 0-1 hole. Everyone predominantly struggled on offense Sunday except for one key player, Alperen Sengun. Houston's starting center and only All-Star from this season had an efficient night, putting up 26 points in 18 shots and recording nine rebounds.
During his postgame press conference, Udoka praised the 22-year-old star's performance, while also giving a statement on what the Rockets need to do to even this series.
“He (Sengun) had a great night. We need others to join the party, and I think guys will.”
The Rockets hit an offensive wall against the Warriors
The Houston Rockets had a phenomenal regular season, largely built on an aggressive defense-first mentality and an ability to generate extra shots on the offensive glass. However, the main question this team had heading into the postseason was the offense. Houston would go through scoring droughts at times during the regular season, particularly against elite opponents. Through one game, those concerns seem all the more valid in these high-leverage situations.
In particular, the Rockets struggled mightily from three-point range. The team went 6/29 from distance, with Fred VanVleet missing eleven of these attempts. Unfortunately, the former NBA Champion had a night to forget at the Toyota Center, shooting 4/19 from the field. VanVleet's backcourt mate, Jalen Green, was also inefficient in his first playoff game, going 3/15 overall. These offensive struggles resulted in a 13-point second quarter that put Houston behind the eight ball early on.
The Rockets ultimately lost a game in which they shot eleven more times than their opponent and took six more free throws. That's usually been a winning formula for this group, but it was not meant to be in Game 1. Houston is going to have to grow up fast if it expects to compete with a team that firmly believes it will win the NBA Championship. While the Rockets are the No. 2 seed, there's a reason they were considered the underdogs heading into this series.
Overall, though, not all is lost for Ime Udoka's squad. Houston will surely come into Game 2 with some adjustments and is the kind of team that should grow into this series. The hope is that the significantly older Warriors will eventually wear down as the series progresses. However, for that to happen, the Rockets need to even this series on Wednesday. They cannot afford to go into a 0-2 hole at home.
