Despite Kevin Durant, the Rockets still struggle to finish

An endless and tense sequence in the Golden 1 center. There are two minutes left in the game and the Rockets are in a good position to win five point lead (107-112) in Sacramento. Kevin Durant takes his time to find a good Jabari Smith Jr. 3-point shot. Too long, but Josh Okogie pops up for an offensive rebound.

More seconds gained. Then Amen Thompson also misses the target under the circle. Sacramento wins the rebound, but Maxime Reynaud fails to get the restart right. Possession remains Texas. More seconds gained. This time, Alperen Sengun turns around to find Josh Okogie in a chair.

Another setback… but another offensive rebound from the Rockets! One minute of the game has passed. Kevin Durant decides to break into the circle: this time the ball is lost and DeMar DeRozan can finish with a dunk.

Kevin Durant targeted by the Kings’ defense

After four missed opportunities on the previous possession, Houston missed again on the next on Alperen Sengun’s rebound after 24 badly approximated seconds. Dennis Schroder is picking up the pace to find Russell Westbrook. Ko equalizes in the corner behind the arc (112-112). “KD” inherits the last blow: still too long, overtime.

« It wasn’t just the fourth quarter, it was the whole game. Our approach was not right. Yesterday we had a match (editor’s note: victory in Denver) where we acted much more motivated. Leaving them lying like this is mostly our fault », regret Udoka’s namerepeating that his team did not deserve to win this match.

Because his training will not be any happier in overtime. Troubled on offense, with a timid Alperen Senggun and a clumsy Kevin Durant (24 points on 8/21 shooting, including 3/9 from distance) and a particularly tight California defense, his team had to rely on Jabari Smith Jr. to take advantage of the spaces created by the other two in the Finals.

Tarry Eason regrets letting Dennis Schroeder go

Only one more mistake, this time defensively, was made in the penultimate possession of the ball. When Tarry Eason dropped Dennis Schroder in the corner while DeMar DeRozan was fouled in the circle. Served from behind, the German managed to convert.

« We should have won. It’s real for me. I don’t think they would have won if I had stayed at the 3-point line » Tarry Eason laments as Kevin Durant misses a mid-range shot at the buzzer.

This is a pretty symptomatic end to the Rockets’ season when things get tense. In the five overtimes played, Houston won just once. Worse: In so-called “clutch” games, with less than five points and three minutes to play, the Rockets have a poor 5-8 record, ranking 22nd in the league in field goals.

« Being -8, -10, whatever, when it should be 15 to 20 points behind. It’s our fault. I have to motivate them better in matches against weaker opponents », notes Ime Udoka, who may have found a solution to get out of this situation: not to find herself in it.