Big rocket drop

After squandering a 25-point lead and losing 133-128 after overtime against the lowly Pelicans, the Rockets will sleep very badly. “We lost all our identity in the second half”, thinks Kevin Durant. “We’re not, and I hate that it’s going to end this way.” We can learn a lesson and improve. It hurts to be great in the first half and then to come out of the locker room and walk away from everything. That’s bullshit. »

Once again, Alperen Sengun was clutch and missed two free throws in the final minute of regulation that could have given the Rockets a two-possession lead.

“We played too nice and they played hard in the second half”he explains. “They were aggressive and we weren’t. I think that was the key. We just lost the thread. They played aggressively and we couldn’t match that aggression in the second half. It’s a bad loss for us, but we’ll bounce back.”

The rockets were paralyzed by the attacks of the two

What does Ime Udoka think, who found no words or systems to prevent his team from sinking?

“Guys looked scared, scared, whatever you want to say, when it came to creating something in the face of the twos,” pity the coach. “Teams are going to double-hit Kevin and Alperen and force the others to make the difference. We didn’t know how to execute tonight.”

Its Turkish interior confirms this. “KD was caught in a double attack and we just couldn’t find an option, to attack the basket… We didn’t know how to do it, and it cost us the match. We have to read the game better and go to the circle because we play 4 on 3 in the half court. We will watch the video and improve.”

But it wasn’t just the offense that was flawed as the Pelicans had an insane second half in terms of skill shooting 69%, including 75% from 3-point range! “We didn’t play with enough energy or sense of urgency in the third quarter”concludes Kevin Durant. “They got everything they wanted. We didn’t play together. We didn’t move the ball. We relaxed too much and they beat us.”