The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Head Coach Ime Udoka: Rockets 'Want To Finish On A Good Note' Before All-Star Break

Episode Date: February 13, 2025

Even with Kevin Durant scoring 37 points, the Houston Rockets were able to rally late and secure a 119-111 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Amen Thompson recorded his fourth career triple-double, his second this month, with 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Phoenix, who were missing Devin Booker, entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead, but the Rockets, led by Alperen Sengun and Dillon Brooks, were able to regain control and pull away in the final minutes, taking advantage of Phoenix's 17 turnovers. "I think our activity was great," head coach Ime Udoka said. "They came up with a lot of steals." After a quiet first half due to the Suns' strong post defense, Sengun finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds to help the Rockets win a second straight. Sengun was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in his career and was selected for Charles Barkley's team in the mini-tournament. The 74th NBA All-Star Game will take place Sunday, but the Rockets have one more matchup before the break, hosting the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. "You want to lock in and finish on a good note," Udoka said.

We are happy to be joined as we are weekly by the head basketball coach of Houston Rockets. Tonight, the Rockets take on the Golden State Warriors winning last night against the Phoenix Suns. Coach Adoka with us with Matt and Ross. Coach, congratulations, a nice win last night. And for the second straight game, a really good fourth quarter offensively. I don't know what you would say that you spent a lot of time focusing on just the fourth, but it is kind of nice to see that you've won two games where you put up some big numbers in the final 12 minutes of play. Yeah, it was good to see those shots go down.

obviously made a bunch of threes in those last two games in the fourth quarter but also guarded well as well you know 19 points given up to Phoenix last night and 87 overall to in the game before and so yeah not only offensively defensive we're doing good as well there but you know sometimes as simple as continue to be confident in the shots and they go down in the fourth and extend the lead one thing that you were able to do look duran had a fantastic game as you expected he would you did take advantage you turn

They forced 10 steals, I think, 18 turnovers, got 25 points off of that. That's just one of those unsung numbers that you can always look at and say there's a main reason why a team wins or loses by just taking care of good care of the basketball. Yeah, we've been one of the teams that is one of the best in the league of taking care of the ball. And so when we keep our numbers down, obviously we're in good shape. But to create that many on them and get with the activity, obviously we went after Durant and 4-7 on him and 6 on Tyos Jones, which is a guy that doesn't turn the ball over much. I think our activity was great. You know, get tired back. You get certain guys out there, and they're obviously going to get their hands on the ball a lot.

And they came up with a lot of steals, ignited our transition fast break, and obviously got some easy buckets. Speaking easy buckets, it was not easy to get Alpy involved in the offense at least in the first two and a half, three quarters, got things going on the fourth. Was there something you guys thought you could do or something that they adjusted to that Alpern was able to take advantage of to get him busy in the fourth? Well, they went after them pretty much every time he got in the post in the first half. And so he kept this simple and made the right pass. And sometimes make or miss as far as him kicking out, but he's doing the right thing, attracting that attention. And yeah, anytime he was in the post, they went after him.

And so regardless of who was on in big or small, they sent two or three bodies to him and limited him some in the first half. But we moved him around a little bit more, put him on a perimeter a little bit more and at the elbow, where he could face up and see all the double teams and everything. And it's obviously harder to double him from that position. And he got going downhill a little bit there, got the free throw line and made some good shots.

But yeah, they simply were not going to let him score in the post and went after him. And Alpi did the right thing, kicked it out. And other guys were recipients. 38 minutes from him last night. How is he feeling? And do you expect him to play the back to back? Yeah, he came out feeling good. Nothing happened during the game.

So the tightness and the spasms that he had previously, hopefully that's even better tonight. But he felt good. You know, obviously going into a break here, we want to finish on a good note. and hopefully guys are all available. Obviously, Tari and the back-to-backs, we'll see about Stephen with the back-to-back as well. His minutes were pretty low, but nothing happened with Alpi, and hopefully he's good to go and can rest up and then go play an All-Star game.

Yeah, when it is the last game before the All-Star break, do you ever feel like as a coach, not necessarily just now, but in your history, do you have to put kind of an extra emphasis and say, hey, hey, guys, let's focus and let's get this one done before we hit the break? All the time. It seems like every year. As minds, they're starting to think about the break, think about the All-Star game, Rising Stars, whatever they have going on. And you want to lock in and finish on a good note.

And so, yeah, I've been on both sides that had some 10-game winning streaks before. They got snapped to go into the All-Star break. And we talked about that last night in Phoenix. They played the night before at home and got in 4.30 in the morning. We wanted to jump on them. Obviously, they put up a much better fight, and DeRan had a big part to do with that. But we knew that was their last game as well. And so if we knew if we could lock in, they might bow out early.

as well. So the squad plays tonight and then we don't play again until a week from Friday when they're back to back with Minnesota and then go to Utah. I'm going to throw a scenario. If I shorten the all-star break by two games, by two days and it gives you two less back-to-backs, would you take that or do you think the week away

from the sports a good thing for the guys? Well, based on how we are right now, I think the rest is good. Obviously Fred being injured and then the guys that can't play the back-to-back to back, Stephen and Tari right now, but I'll be being banged up as well. And then guys that haven't missed games like Jaylen, you know,

playing through contusions and bumps and bruises. I think it's good to get everybody's legs back, you know, get physically refreshed, but also mentally take a step away as well. So we'll take the extra days needed. And then like you said, they take it right back from us with the back-to-back. ESPN game late night here against Minnesota

and have to go all the way to Utah. So we will be prepared for that. But, yeah, the back-to-back schedule right now has been crazy. I think that's four in a row for us. I did watch a little bit of the Warriors game last night when I got back from our game, this guy quit and posted and play a whole lot, but he's a seven-footer. Why is there a seven-footer playing for the Golden State Warriors?

I've never seen that for them, at least since like Andrew Bogget played. Yeah, he brings a different dynamic to them. He's picking pop big, something different that they haven't had in a while. I think Luni hasn't been playing as much. You know, they bring a small ball with Raymond at the five-sum, and then Trace Jackson-David, who was starting for them, isn't really in the rotation right now. So he gives them a different look,

something that we haven't seen when we played him so far. He wasn't in any time at that point. But yeah, stretches of defense does some different things for them, so they're going with a different look to try to shake it up as well. How about Jimmy Butler? What have you seen so far him wearing Golden State gear? No, fitting in well. I think he obviously brings the leadership toughness to that team,

but he's a little bit different with how he scores. Don't need to play a call for him, but he can impact the game in so many different ways and very unselfish. And so it seems like he's fit in well so far, has made an impact and obviously until last night they had won a few in a row with him and so I'm sure he's happy to get back on the court and we'll see what he looks like tonight

against us. We haven't talked about this and least on this show. What was it like coaching in Dallas on Saturday for that game with all the Luca stuff and the protest? We were on the buses obviously getting in the arena and it was growing as we were getting there but what was the vibe any different for you just being

around the fans with all that you know there was a lot of a lot of angst in that crowd at least there certainly has been since they've played that game. No, I think the outside was more crazy, obviously the protests and the people out there with the signs and the whole crowd gathered

out there. Once you got inside, I think Anthony Davis made them forget a little bit about it immediately with the first half that he had and then the injury happens and so it's kind of exacerbated that Luke was gone again and then Davis has hurt. So I think it's been some ups and downs for sure. Davis,

if he was healthy and playing, might have help sway their opinions. a little bit, but him being out for the extended time is only going to make them miss Luca Moore, and so it was a wild outside, but inside they were pumped up for him. Davis had a great first half, and like I said, we clawed back into the game

and he got hurt, obviously, so that dampened their expectations a little bit. You had last night, 36-year-old Kevin Durant playing as well as he is, and then you have 35-year-old Jimmy Butler, 36-year-old Steph Curry, LeBron is 40 doing his thing. What have you just seen in

your time around the league? How much of this is these guys are freaks of nature, how much of this is the sports science improving and guys taking more care of their bodies to where you have these guys into their late 30s playing as well as they are? Yes, combination of all the above.

I think, you know, taking care of your body has become paramount. You know, for these guys. They're also great players, so their skill set lasts a little longer and they're very efficient at what they do. So it's a little bit of both. But, you know, I need being around

Durant and some of these guys over the years. You see the work ethic. You see how guys take care of their bodies and the amount of time they put into their sport. And so I think guys are starting to do that at a younger age as well, which helps them extend their career. But the other part is guys will sit out some games and not play the back-to-backs three and four nights. And so those things help as well in longevity of your career. How old were you when you retired? 34.

Quitter. 34. Got a coaching opportunity. Physically could have kept playing. pop off from me the job and I took it. So did you know, how, and you've been asked this before, when did you know that you had the coaching bug in you? Probably around 29, you know, middle of my career.

I started the A.U team in Portland and did some coaching clinics with the NBA, the Player's Association put them on. I did that three years in a row out of UVA with the top 100 high school kids. And so I knew I enjoyed it. And I knew I wanted to do NBA more than college or any other level. And so once I got the call from pop and the opportunity, I stopped playing a year or two before I had to. The hardest part about an assistant coach is that, is it the scouting?

Is it the endless watching of tape? I mean, when you have to work your rank way up and you certainly have done that with all the different stops you made, what was the toughest chore and ultimately getting to the spot where you are now? I think just the opportunity. The thing that I was told with all the interviews was you never done it before. Well, you can't do it until you do it. And so that's the hardest part, you know, is everybody has to be at the first time with something. Obviously, the hours are much longer than when you're a player.

You know, you spend countless hours before and after practice all night doing scouting and films. But, you know, I learned from one of the best, and I'd say the thing for me was having to be good cop for pop when he was a bad cop. And even though I may have agreed with him on things, I'd be good cop and put my arm around guys and kind of lie a little bit to, you know, start to make him feel better. I love it. I love it. That's what I'm saying. the best coaches come time to have to lie. So are you good cop, bad cop right now?

As a head coach, it would be kind of a mix of that right now? 66% bad, 32% good, but I got a staff and some veteran players that make up for my aggression. Yeah, you know what? I wouldn't change it. Let me get you out of here on this one. Dylan Brooks is having a great year three point wise, up to 39% that's his best number. The ball leaves his hand. It looks like much better this year than it even did last year.

And certainly it was a Memphis Grizzly. You attribute it to anything? Is it spacing? Is it a slide step is a little bit of everything? Because it looks like it just looks like it's leaving his hand with much more confidence. Yeah, I think his preparation is much better. He's always down, ready to shoot. Guys are looking for him, and he does a really good job of relocating and finding that opening for the kickouts or post-ups with Alphe. And so one thing he has done, obviously shot at a high level.

I think he's ready to shoot every time. And I think he's improved the pace of his release as well. well. So he's getting a shot off quicker. Doesn't need as much space. And obviously it's been one of our best, most consistent all year. So we want him to stay confident and aggressive and take those shots and I pass him up. Great stuff. As always, Coach, we'll see you later tonight. Thank you for the visit as always.

Thank you guys. You got it. You may have okay with us here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross.