Houston Rockets squandered a six-point lead with under 30 seconds left and lost in overtime to the Los Angeles Lakers, now facing elimination.
Houston held a six-point edge with less than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter but collapsed in dramatic fashion against the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead of securing their first victory in the series, the Rockets lost 112-108 in overtime on Friday night, putting them one loss away from being eliminated in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. Coach Ime Udoka labeled the mistakes as unforgivable, questioning whether the team's struggles stemmed from inexperience or fear under pressure.
The Lakers' late-game comeback began when Marcus Smart drew a foul on a three-point attempt with 25 seconds left after Houston committed a turnover. Smart made all three free throws to trim the deficit to three points. Then, LeBron James stole the ball from Reed Sheppard and hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 101-101 with 13 seconds remaining. Sheppard admitted his mistake, calling his turnover stupid and acknowledging he should have made the simple play to advance the ball past halfcourt to Alperen Sengun.
Houston had the chance to retake the lead after James tied the game, but Sengun's seven-foot shot missed. James grabbed the rebound and called a timeout before inbounding the ball. With a chance to win at the buzzer, James' three-point attempt clanged off the rim, forcing overtime. The Rockets continued to struggle in closing out games during the fourth quarter, a pattern that resurfaced in this critical moment. Udoka emphasized that the team's inability to finish games with clean plays was a major flaw.
This marks the second consecutive playoff appearance for the Rockets, who returned last season for the first time since 2020 but were eliminated in seven games by Golden State. Despite their prior playoff experience, Udoka refused to accept excuses for Friday's collapse and delivered a direct message to his players. Grow up, he told them. You're not that young anymore. Udoka also pointed to the egregious nature of the mistakes, stating they could not afford such errors moving forward.
Alperen Sengun led Houston with 33 points and 16 rebounds in the defeat, acknowledging the team's disappointment but stressing the need to move on. We'll be upset tonight. That's for sure, he said. But we've got to get over it. Nobody's giving up. Sengun expressed determination to recover from the loss as the Rockets prepare for Game 4 on Sunday night in Houston, where they aim to avoid elimination. The team's mentality remains focused despite the setback.
Kevin Durant missed Game 1 due to a knee injury and Game 2 with a sprained ankle, leaving his availability for Game 4 unclear. Udoka described Durant's status as up in the air but noted some progress in Durant's recovery over the past few days. With only one day between games, the coach emphasized the uncertainty surrounding Durant's return. The Rockets will need to decide their approach for Sunday's game without confirmation on Durant's status.
Udoka took immediate action to address the team's late-game struggles by having the Rockets review the final 30 seconds of regulation following the loss. The goal was to help the players learn from their mistakes and avoid repeating them. He then urged the team to shift focus to the next game. Now you've got to go get one on Sunday and don't let this one beat you twice, he told them.