Im Udoka, whose team was eliminated by the Lakers, believes the Rockets failed to capitalize on their advantages.

In a key game of the 2025/26 NBA playoffs Round 6, the Houston Rockets, despite scoring from Amen Thompson, Alperen Shinkyung, and Tali Ethan, ultimately lost 78-98 at home to the Los Angeles Lakers, ending their playoff run with a 2-4 series loss. Ime Udoka stated that his team failed to capitalize on their usual rebounding prowess and establish their rhythm in the game.

Amen Thompson scored 18 points and had 3 assists in this key game, Alperen Shinkyung added 17 points and 1 assist, while Tali Ethan contributed 14 points and 2 assists for the Houston Rockets.

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said in an interview, "Everyone is very disappointed, without a doubt. We all thought we would drag the series to the seventh round, but shooting only 35% and scoring only 78 points is obviously not going to win. Even if we played defense like this and limited them to 98 points with only 40% shooting, it would normally be an easy win."

"Our tactics became somewhat stagnant at certain stages, and we failed to grab offensive rebounds and establish a rhythm, which were key factors in our success in the first two games."

Im Udoka continued, "In the last game we only got 6 offensive rebounds, which was the second worst performance of the season. I think we'll only get 8 in this game, which is far too few for us."

"Many players have made significant progress, without a doubt. Jabari Smith Jr. has shown tremendous growth, Alperen Shinkyung has been selected as an All-Star again, and Tali Ethan has also experienced ups and downs. These are inevitable ups and downs in the process of growth, especially for young players, and consistency is the most crucial factor."

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