November 27, 2024 • 8 mins
The Houston Rockets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-111 in overtime Tuesday to clinch West Group A and a spot in the NBA Cup knockout round. "We had a really good run in overtime," head coach Ime Udoka said. "It was a full team effort." Following the win, the Rockets traveled to Philadelphia overnight as they will face the 76ers in the second of a back-to-back set. "There is where depth comes into play," Udoka said.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Rockets and the seventy six ers coming up tonight. After
last night's game with the Minnesota Timberwolves and went to overtime,
the Rockets are going to go to the knockout round
of the nd season Tournament. But first things first got
to focus on tonight's opponent, the Philadelphia seventy six Ers,
and we'll do that with our friend Ima Adoka, head
coach of the Houston Rockets. Coach, Congratulations, a very exciting
(00:23):
victory that Philadelphia. Excuse me that Minnesota did everything they
could to take that one away in the fourth quarter.
But you got some key stops, a men Thompson Alpi,
got some going things offensively late in the contest, some
Colach free throws. It was a really satisfying victory. Not
a perfect game, but definitely a satisfying one.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, it was one of the more sweet victories this
year do to all the things you just mentioned. You know, obviously,
we built a lead and couldn't sustain it, paddled our way.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Back into it, and I got it lately.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
They made a push late in the fourth and then
we had a really good in an overtime eleven over run.
So a lot of ups and downs, but stuck with it.
A lot of guys stepped up and it was a
full team effort.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
How's the body doing? Everybody sleep all the sign? Do
you sleep? Okay, we're all gonna be a little tired,
but we know what it is.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
It's a back to back that time of the year,
and this is a tough one Minnesota to Philly. Lose
an hour, get in late, but have to muster up
energy and nobody's gonna feel sorry for you. So we
this is where our depth comes into play, and guys
will get ready for tonight, but we know it's a
good challenge on the hand and getting last night all
the way, it was a good one, but you'll make
it even sweeter. Have two on this trip.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Hey, the great shooting early on. Fred was knocking him down.
Dylan was doing it man, I mean, there were so
many different heroes. How about the difference between the first
and the second half with Albi two points in the
first two quarters, and look, I've called every one of
his games, him going against Rudy Gobert. Now, I don't
know how much of a difference it is with Karl
Anthony Townsend out there with him, but that was the
(01:56):
best night. Albie had a going against Rudy go maybe
in his NBA career.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, I mean I think, you know, he really was
distributing the ball well in the first half. He had
five assists in the first quarter and uh, I wanted
to say seven a round halftime.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
He obviously ended up with a triple double. Selft. He
took what the game gave him.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
They were really showing the crowd there on his rolls
when he found it in the pocket and he got
Jabari a lot of those threes deal a lot of
those cookout, kickout threes, and so he did what came natural,
made the right play, and so they went away from
that at some point to start guarding the shooters, and
he really got to go to work one on one
quite a bit on Gobert, and so great to see him, obviously,
(02:35):
uh come through in the second half scoring wise, But
I think he had a really good overall game. Obviously
with the stat line you see, and yeah, Gobert is
a tough challenge, but he uses his strength inside kind
of muscled him under and kind of had his way
with him, especially in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Did he need a game like that, because I know
there have been some times where I felt like he's
probably been pretty frustrated because Gobert is such a defensive
presence that now his confidence level just goes up going
against a guy like Ben and having as much success
as he did.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, I think he really did a good job of
moving himself around, and you know, he wasn't only attacking
in the post. He was finding it on the roll
in the pick and roll, had some of those little
mid range shots, but also some of the iles around
the elbows where he can use his quick first step
and kind of get into his body there so he
can't tie him on the blocks. And so he did
all every which way, especially late in the game like
you saw in the overtime.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Obviously he took over there.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
But great to see him find a way against a
really good defender that presents some challenges. But we said
all the time out he's going to be a matchup
problem against pretty much everybody in the league, and he
figures out how to get it done. It's just his
versatility moving him all around is obviously a big asset
for him.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I'm going to start trying to push for a men
Thompson is like six Man of the Year kind of
candidate to coach. He has been crushing it. The side
pocket three was huge for you last night. The mid
courts deals. That's almost every single night from a shooting perspective,
a massive overhaul on how it leaves his hand. Is
it just rhythm, is it experience? Is a better placement?
I mean, could be all the above, but not that
(04:04):
he does a lot of that kind of deep rain shooting.
But that three last time he had late in the game,
couldn't have come in a better time.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, say, that's a lot of what you just mentioned,
but mainly confidence.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
He puts the work in.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
He's taking tons of reps this summer and he does
it every day, and so the stroke looks a little
more smooth, no doubt about that.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
But confidence wise, he's not afraid to let it fly.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
He gets to the spots and doesn't always let them
force him to take the shots that they want him
to take. He'll attack and slice to the basket. But
once they start to sag off a little bit more,
he's very comfortable shooting that quarter three especially, and so
it was good to see that happen. Obviously, the steals
and the full court layup, that was a big one
late in the game. But he's going to continue to
(04:46):
grow and he puts into work, so his confidence is
going to continue to be sky high, and making a
shot like that late in the game will only boost
it anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
He may dooka with us here on sports talks around
a coach. You know, when we were growing up, college
players played two three four years. Now most guys are one.
And there was a lot of that last night with
read out there and they obviously Dilan m was out there,
and you'll see some of that tonight as well. Do
you as a coach just kind of have to sometimes
take a step back and go, damn, twenty years ago,
(05:15):
these nineteen year olds were finishing up their freshman year
in college. Now they're expected to be rotation guys in
the NBA, And how have you treated those type of
players a little differently? Knowing that still, even though they're
very exceptional fine athletes, the NBA game, the adjustment from
a year in G League or a year in college
is still so significantly different.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Yeah, you have to be pacing and understand that.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
You know, rookies coming in are obviously three four years
younger than they used to be, and so the experience
alone and the maturity and the physicality, and you know
they're growing into their bodies, all those things to take
into you have to take those into account, and so
what we try to do is expedite the process as
much as you can and get their IQ up and
the physical will come when it comes, obviously with these
(06:00):
guys being a little bit a little bit younger. But
you know I always say is if you're a smart
player or a smart player, doesn't matter if you're nineteen
or if you're twenty five, and so you will get
you will gain some more things and some more tricks
being you know, being around playing and having the experience.
But we want to try to get the IQ up
and obviously the mental side of the game. And so
you're seeing growth and steps by guys as we go,
(06:21):
and we love to watch that. And like I always say,
it takes everybody different point in their in their career
to kind of hit that light bulb moment. But when
you see a click for guys, as you're seeing with
some of our guys firsthand, it's a great thing.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
And so we just want to continue to grow throughout
the year.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
And and guys take those steps like they did last
year and carry over into this year.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Philadelphia is really struggling. Not that we're feeling sorry for
one coach, but a thought or two. Look, injuries are
a large part of the reason why. And you're going
to have three players out tonight for them as well.
Is that the number one thing when you scout them
as you look forward to tonight of they just have
not been able to have any sort of cohesive starting
five at any point during the season.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Well, yeah, obviously that's very indicative of the record with
the guys that they have missing.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
It's you know, they've.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Had their main three guys out for quite a bit,
but other guys have stepped up. Maxi's back now and
you know what he can do by himself, and so
I have to be really conscious of the other guys
that Stephan McCain is playing well, and then other role
players are going to try to take advantage. And so
for us, it's go about our business and be consistent
and played to our standard, not to.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
The level who's out there in front of us.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
And so we want to see some growth on our part,
you know, maturity of a tough back to back, and
I understand we have a few days off after this,
and so we want to attack that. And like you said,
nobody feels sorry for anybody in the NBA. This is
just a part of it. Injuries is a part of it,
and scheduling is a part of it. And so we'll
take care of what's in front of us and try
to get one tonight.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, I don't want you getting teed up tonight, but
you're gonna probably a shorter trigger.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
We're all gonna be a little crankier.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
So just explain to the officials we've got something to
complain about and say, look, I'm working off a five
hours sleep. They'll they'll they'll amend that technically there's no
chance you're getting one tonight.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
So I got you. I hope, I hope we'll.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Get to get a nap and we'll see you the
arena later on, and thank.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
You for the time as always, Thank you guys.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
We'll see you may Doka with us here on the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross Rockets and seventy six ers
playing tonight. We'll have the broadcast with the launch Pad
at five o'clock, Network Pringam at five thirty, and I'll
have the call here from Philadelphia at six pm
Rockets and the seventy six ers coming up tonight. After
last night's game with the Minnesota Timberwolves and went to overtime,
the Rockets are going to go to the knockout round
of the nd season Tournament. But first things first got
to focus on tonight's opponent, the Philadelphia seventy six Ers,
and we'll do that with our friend Ima Adoka, head
coach of the Houston Rockets. Coach, Congratulations, a very exciting
(00:23):
victory that Philadelphia. Excuse me that Minnesota did everything they
could to take that one away in the fourth quarter.
But you got some key stops, a men Thompson Alpi,
got some going things offensively late in the contest, some
Colach free throws. It was a really satisfying victory. Not
a perfect game, but definitely a satisfying one.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Yeah, it was one of the more sweet victories this
year do to all the things you just mentioned. You know, obviously,
we built a lead and couldn't sustain it, paddled our way.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Back into it, and I got it lately.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
They made a push late in the fourth and then
we had a really good in an overtime eleven over run.
So a lot of ups and downs, but stuck with it.
A lot of guys stepped up and it was a
full team effort.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
How's the body doing? Everybody sleep all the sign? Do
you sleep? Okay, we're all gonna be a little tired,
but we know what it is.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
It's a back to back that time of the year,
and this is a tough one Minnesota to Philly. Lose
an hour, get in late, but have to muster up
energy and nobody's gonna feel sorry for you. So we
this is where our depth comes into play, and guys
will get ready for tonight, but we know it's a
good challenge on the hand and getting last night all
the way, it was a good one, but you'll make
it even sweeter. Have two on this trip.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Hey, the great shooting early on. Fred was knocking him down.
Dylan was doing it man, I mean, there were so
many different heroes. How about the difference between the first
and the second half with Albi two points in the
first two quarters, and look, I've called every one of
his games, him going against Rudy Gobert. Now, I don't
know how much of a difference it is with Karl
Anthony Townsend out there with him, but that was the
(01:56):
best night. Albie had a going against Rudy go maybe
in his NBA career.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, I mean I think, you know, he really was
distributing the ball well in the first half. He had
five assists in the first quarter and uh, I wanted
to say seven a round halftime.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
He obviously ended up with a triple double. Selft. He
took what the game gave him.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
They were really showing the crowd there on his rolls
when he found it in the pocket and he got
Jabari a lot of those threes deal a lot of
those cookout, kickout threes, and so he did what came natural,
made the right play, and so they went away from
that at some point to start guarding the shooters, and
he really got to go to work one on one
quite a bit on Gobert, and so great to see him, obviously,
(02:35):
uh come through in the second half scoring wise, But
I think he had a really good overall game. Obviously
with the stat line you see, and yeah, Gobert is
a tough challenge, but he uses his strength inside kind
of muscled him under and kind of had his way
with him, especially in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Did he need a game like that, because I know
there have been some times where I felt like he's
probably been pretty frustrated because Gobert is such a defensive
presence that now his confidence level just goes up going
against a guy like Ben and having as much success
as he did.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Yeah, I think he really did a good job of
moving himself around, and you know, he wasn't only attacking
in the post. He was finding it on the roll
in the pick and roll, had some of those little
mid range shots, but also some of the iles around
the elbows where he can use his quick first step
and kind of get into his body there so he
can't tie him on the blocks. And so he did
all every which way, especially late in the game like
you saw in the overtime.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Obviously he took over there.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
But great to see him find a way against a
really good defender that presents some challenges. But we said
all the time out he's going to be a matchup
problem against pretty much everybody in the league, and he
figures out how to get it done. It's just his
versatility moving him all around is obviously a big asset
for him.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
I'm going to start trying to push for a men
Thompson is like six Man of the Year kind of
candidate to coach. He has been crushing it. The side
pocket three was huge for you last night. The mid
courts deals. That's almost every single night from a shooting perspective,
a massive overhaul on how it leaves his hand. Is
it just rhythm, is it experience? Is a better placement?
I mean, could be all the above, but not that
(04:04):
he does a lot of that kind of deep rain shooting.
But that three last time he had late in the game,
couldn't have come in a better time.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Yeah, say, that's a lot of what you just mentioned,
but mainly confidence.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
He puts the work in.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
He's taking tons of reps this summer and he does
it every day, and so the stroke looks a little
more smooth, no doubt about that.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
But confidence wise, he's not afraid to let it fly.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
He gets to the spots and doesn't always let them
force him to take the shots that they want him
to take. He'll attack and slice to the basket. But
once they start to sag off a little bit more,
he's very comfortable shooting that quarter three especially, and so
it was good to see that happen. Obviously, the steals
and the full court layup, that was a big one
late in the game. But he's going to continue to
(04:46):
grow and he puts into work, so his confidence is
going to continue to be sky high, and making a
shot like that late in the game will only boost
it anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
He may dooka with us here on sports talks around
a coach. You know, when we were growing up, college
players played two three four years. Now most guys are one.
And there was a lot of that last night with
read out there and they obviously Dilan m was out there,
and you'll see some of that tonight as well. Do
you as a coach just kind of have to sometimes
take a step back and go, damn, twenty years ago,
(05:15):
these nineteen year olds were finishing up their freshman year
in college. Now they're expected to be rotation guys in
the NBA, And how have you treated those type of
players a little differently? Knowing that still, even though they're
very exceptional fine athletes, the NBA game, the adjustment from
a year in G League or a year in college
is still so significantly different.
Speaker 3 (05:37):
Yeah, you have to be pacing and understand that.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
You know, rookies coming in are obviously three four years
younger than they used to be, and so the experience
alone and the maturity and the physicality, and you know
they're growing into their bodies, all those things to take
into you have to take those into account, and so
what we try to do is expedite the process as
much as you can and get their IQ up and
the physical will come when it comes, obviously with these
(06:00):
guys being a little bit a little bit younger. But
you know I always say is if you're a smart
player or a smart player, doesn't matter if you're nineteen
or if you're twenty five, and so you will get
you will gain some more things and some more tricks
being you know, being around playing and having the experience.
But we want to try to get the IQ up
and obviously the mental side of the game. And so
you're seeing growth and steps by guys as we go,
(06:21):
and we love to watch that. And like I always say,
it takes everybody different point in their in their career
to kind of hit that light bulb moment. But when
you see a click for guys, as you're seeing with
some of our guys firsthand, it's a great thing.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
And so we just want to continue to grow throughout
the year.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
And and guys take those steps like they did last
year and carry over into this year.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Philadelphia is really struggling. Not that we're feeling sorry for
one coach, but a thought or two. Look, injuries are
a large part of the reason why. And you're going
to have three players out tonight for them as well.
Is that the number one thing when you scout them
as you look forward to tonight of they just have
not been able to have any sort of cohesive starting
five at any point during the season.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Well, yeah, obviously that's very indicative of the record with
the guys that they have missing.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
It's you know, they've.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
Had their main three guys out for quite a bit,
but other guys have stepped up. Maxi's back now and
you know what he can do by himself, and so
I have to be really conscious of the other guys
that Stephan McCain is playing well, and then other role
players are going to try to take advantage. And so
for us, it's go about our business and be consistent
and played to our standard, not to.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
The level who's out there in front of us.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
And so we want to see some growth on our part,
you know, maturity of a tough back to back, and
I understand we have a few days off after this,
and so we want to attack that. And like you said,
nobody feels sorry for anybody in the NBA. This is
just a part of it. Injuries is a part of it,
and scheduling is a part of it. And so we'll
take care of what's in front of us and try
to get one tonight.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Philadelphia.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Well, I don't want you getting teed up tonight, but
you're gonna probably a shorter trigger.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
We're all gonna be a little crankier.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
So just explain to the officials we've got something to
complain about and say, look, I'm working off a five
hours sleep. They'll they'll they'll amend that technically there's no
chance you're getting one tonight.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
So I got you. I hope, I hope we'll.
Speaker 1 (08:03):
Get to get a nap and we'll see you the
arena later on, and thank.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
You for the time as always, Thank you guys.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
We'll see you may Doka with us here on the
Matt Thomas Show with Ross Rockets and seventy six ers
playing tonight. We'll have the broadcast with the launch Pad
at five o'clock, Network Pringam at five thirty, and I'll
have the call here from Philadelphia at six pm
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