And if the Rockets were the Wolves of tomorrow… It's possible as the construction of the team follows the same strategy with young talents surrounded by seasoned veterans, and last night, Jalen Green's teammates confirmed their very good start to the season by winning after extra time in Minnesota.
A success which allows them to qualify for the quarter-finals of the NBA Cup. A victory in two stages, after having trembled, but precisely that is what Ime Udoka appreciated.
“I told the team that it was undoubtedly one of the best victories of the year”, reacted the coachwhile screams echoed in the locker room. “We did some very good things, we made the difference in the second half, we took the lead. We lost it, and I don't like losing a lead like we did. We kept our composure and continued to work when we were a little behind, the guys made big shots, made big plays, moved the ball around, and kept the ball when we needed to. Coming back this way shows a certain progression on our part.”
Houston learns to win close games
After giving themselves a 17-point lead against Rudy Gobert's teammates, the Rockets effectively foiled with 11 missed 3-point shots in a row! Rather than panic, Fred VanVleet's teammates focused on their leader of the evening, Alperen Sengun, dominant under the boards with a new triple-double: 22 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, but also 3 blocks and 3 interceptions. . “I wanted to win so much tonight” blurted the Turk. “I wanted to do everything to achieve it, on offense, on defense… We all did it tonight! We really had a blast tonight. It was a close game, and we've lost a lot of close games this season. This is the most enjoyable part because we did a lot of good things in a close game. »
Alongside him, Fred VanVleet is not far from the triple-double with 27 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds, while Jabari Smith Jr. and Dillon Brooks combine for 41 points. Another key stat: the 31 assists, second best total of the season. “Oh, it was really fun.” admits VanVleet. “It's nice to play like that… Our cohesion, our energy, our intensity, our sharing of the ball were there. We stayed calm and were able to execute our systems late in the game. »
This circulation of the ball is what all the Rockets remember, while Anthony Edwards had the winning shot at the end of the 4th quarter. But Ime Udoka especially notes this ability to stay in the game plan, despite the big comeback of Wolves.
“A lot of teams would have collapsed with such a lost lead… But we found a way to bounce back, and get back to the game that allowed us to take that lead. We were very altruistic. The extra passes were awesome. We took the shots we needed to take. Winning like this makes things even better. »
