Ime Udoka hands brutal stray to Kings with "lesser opponents" jab after Rockets' OT loss

The Houston Rockets suffered a close 125-124 overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday. Following the defeat, Ime Udoka fired back at his team while taking a brutal jab at the Kings.

The Californian team caught a stray from Udoka during his postgame interview as he reflected on his team’s performance.

"We didn't really deserve to win that," Udoka said. "I've got to do a better job of getting them motivated in games against lesser opponents."

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Udoka's remarks were a straight jab at the Kings, who have struggled for consistency this season. Before tip-off, Sacramento (6-21) sat at the bottom of the Western Conference and was riding a five-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, the Rockets were coming off an emphatic 115–101 win over the Denver Nuggets and were expected to secure an easy victory. Instead, they suffered their third overtime loss in four games, dropping to sixth in the West.

However, despite Udoka’s blunt comments toward the Sacramento Kings, Houston has struggled against so-called “lesser opponents” this season. Their previous defeat before this game came against the New Orleans Pelicans, a team that shares an identical record with Sacramento.

Additionally, they suffered defeats against the Dallas Mavericks (11-18) and the Utah Jazz (10-17) in December, both of whom are 11th and 12th, respectively.

While the Rockets have fared well against stronger opponents, addressing this Achilles’ heel remains key to becoming a consistent playoff threat in the West.

With another struggling side in the LA Clippers up next, Ime Udoka will be hoping his message lands as Houston looks to secure a win on Tuesday.

Ime Udoka highlights factors that led to the Rockets' defeat against the Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings pulled off an upset against the Houston Rockets at home on Sunday as they rallied back in the second-half to win in overtime.

Rockets headcoach Ime Udoka reflected on the defeat after the game, highlighting key factors that led to the loss.

"It was the entire game. Our approach wasn’t right," Udoka said (Timestamp: 0:29). "Letting them hang around the way they did was on us. They got 19 offensive rebounds, we had multiple unforced turnovers and missed assignments, and that’s what happens. We didn’t really deserve to win."

The Rockets were ahead 68-57 at halftime. However, the Kings rallied in the second half, tying the game before Dennis Schroder's late three-pointer secured the overtime victory.

Edited by Arian Kashyap