December 24, 2025 • 9 mins
Ime Udoka Joins the Show As the Rockets Continue to Struggle On the Road.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Twelve thirty four Sports Talk seven ninety We're gonna spend
ten minutes with the head coach of the Houston Rockets,
e may At duncan add and ross with you here
on seven ninety. Emy, thanks for joining us. I hope
we're gonna have some better conversation. We're about to have
the next handful of minutes. But things have not gone
so far well so far on this trip one and four,
(00:20):
some really tough losses, some late games, and then last
night bore the Clippers just hit everything on the floor.
You're gonna meet with a team and a half an
hour to go over some films. So would you like
to give us a sneak preview of the conversation you
may be having with the boys.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, it's really you know, getting back to who we
are as a team. You know, we last night probably
the worst worst game of the year in a lot
of aspects. But when you look at things a big
picture wise, we gave them away and you're gonna have
some poor nights. But that's why losing the Denver game
with the foul at the losing New Orleans with the
foul and giving up a lead against Sacramento That's why
(00:56):
those ones sing even more because nights like last not
are going to happen. But our main thing is trying
to keep it simple and get back to our identity.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Man, you got a veteran group. There's won a lot
of basketball games in the last year and a half.
Kevin's obviously got to distinguish NBA career. I don't think
that these athletes that, especially the ones you have, have
a little bit of that. Here we go again, Am
I right about that? And if they do have some
of that, how do you as a coach get past that?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I think it's it's simplifying things and not trying to overcomplicate.
Like I said, are some of the things we've done
over the last few years. We're having slippage in those areas,
the simple things, and like we don't have the proper
effort or attention to detail with the game plan. We
start with that first and foremost, and so for us,
it's like I said.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Getting back to that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
You know, had a good win against Denver two games ago,
and very competitive games against quality teams.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
And so you don't forget that.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
But at the same time, even if you win those
overtime games, you know, that doesn't gloss over the areas
we need to improve in and so win, win and lose.
You know, you still look at the good and the
bad in those games, and plenty of things we could
have done to not be in those positions, especially given
up big leads against New Orleans and Sacramento.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You may there's a certain level of respect that goes
with an every NBA team, even though the wins and
losses are going to be obviously different based on who
you play every single night. Is it especially aggravating that
some of these losses have come to teams that have
really gotten off the bad starts?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, say that.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I mean you look at the Clippers and they're probably
their records on indicative of their talent. Obviously you got
Leonard and hard and that's two really good Hall of
Fame players there. But so you respect that and understand
that they've not come out with the proper effort on
their part. And so that was the part that was
probably most frustrated last night, is that, you know, we
get a nine point lead and you know we make
(02:48):
three four plays in a road on discipline, going for
gamble steals and fouls and let them right back in
the game where they've they've got faultered at times this
year when you've gotten them into those predicaments, but we
help them get back into it and then it flipped
the other way. But yeah, overall, I would say the
Sacramentos and the New Orleans and those guys teams are
going to start to play better. And New Orleans has,
but we were doing some really good things and got
(03:11):
stagnant offensively, undisciplined defensively, and then, like I said, the
fouls at the end of the thing that stand out
the most.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
You mentioned a bit of the lack of discipline defensively,
is there What do you attribute to that? Do you
think there is just a little bit of fatigue or
tiredness or overall laziness. What would you say that you
would attribute that to.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I mean, we do have to get back to playing
harder than we have been lately. You know, that's been,
like I said, our identity last two years. And you
don't want to forget what brought you success, and so
you stick with that as you're trying to improve and
implement some things offensively with some new players and new positions,
and so we can always rely on that.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Whether you make shots or not.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
And we were doing that this year, you know, earlier
in the season, regardless of the lumps we took offensively,
as we're putting our men at the point or different
guys in different positions, still rely on that and the
last few we definitely haven't done that, hence the overtime
games in the late game.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Falley Rocketech coach Imadoka with us here on Sports Talk
seven ninety and what do you do as a coach
when it's like sometimes last night, especially Kawhi Leonard was
just knocking down crazy shots. James Harden was knocking down
contested shots and they just go in. Is that something
you just kind of try to brush away or you
(04:26):
can do? Do you ever say that to the guys, like, hey,
good defense there and there was just nothing we could
do better offense.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
No, there are.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Sometimes where you play really good defense and guys are talented,
so they make shots.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
But it's doing your work ahead.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Of time, doing doing your work early and keeping guys
out of certain positions. And one thing we had pride
oursel phone all year was holding teams and.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Players far below their average.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
We put us that up, you know five games ago
where we held pretty much everybody well below their average,
and so where those guys get loose, especially after we
played them, you know, recently, and.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Guarded them really well.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
You know, up fifteen or thirteen free throws to Harden
means we're not being disciplined, we're reaching in, we're fouling.
You know, we gave him only five free throws last game,
and so you're gonna see two guys tomorrow with Don
chess Lee's league in free throws, Austin Reeves's top five,
and so being disciplined there and not foiling on certain
shots is a big key, and that's what gets hardening
(05:20):
those guys in their rhythm.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Emay, you did not play Kevin or outing the fourth
quarter of the game last night. I don't think Kevin
is a lip service guy. Certainly doesn't come across to
me that way. When asked about why he didn't play,
he says, like he trust you with that. Was there
a conversation head in the middle of the game, And
I don't know if it wasn't like it's not your
night or hey, I want to let everybody know that,
(05:44):
you know, nobody is sacred from guaranteed playing time, especially
if things aren't going well.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
No, we gave them the extended running third we you know,
didn't take them out their regular time and to try
to get back in the game, and it didn't go
that way. So try to inject some energy and juice
into the of the game and put some guys in
that hadn't played as much. And you know, you look
at a fifteen point deficit with about eight nine minutes ago,
you cut that down to seven, where you know, in
the next three minutes we give ourselves a chance.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
But it didn't go that way and went the opposite.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
If it did, we could have put our guys back
in and gave ourself a chance, but not a lot
of energy, like I said, or physicality in the game
in general, and wanted to give some other guys a
look to try to spark us.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
You did get the win against Denver and you now
have talked about this before. On this trip so far
you've played them three times. It's a team that very
well could play in the playoffs. You have two three
point losses and a nice win back. Does that give
you the I know we can play against the upperational
on teams.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
That isn't the question mark.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
It's about trying to give it the full throttle effort
and not letting those losses the second tier teams pile up.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I got to do a
better time of getting this motivated against everybody and think,
you know, certain matchups guys get up for, but you know,
you don't have the areas of slippers that we had
in those two games against New Orleans sack if you're
properly motivated or you know, continue to do the right
things that we got that we did to get the lead.
And so for us, it's not even about Denver, whoever
(07:14):
Lakers or whoever tomorrow. It's really focused on us a
getting back to what we've done well over to start
the season and over the last few years, what we've
built and so that you know, we shouldn't look at
anybody's record. It's more about continuing to work on our
things and taking them one as they come. And I
don't think we're looking ahead to anybody specifically. We need
to write our ship by ourselves.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Here's somebody who's been playing and coaching in this league
for twenty five plus years. Do you feel like even
the bad teams are more talented and dangerous than they
maybe ever have been, because the Clippers have a couple
of Hall of famers even though they don't, as you said,
a little bit better than their record. The Kings and
(07:56):
the Pelicans have some good players too. Is that just
me being a recency bias or do you think that
even the bad teams are more talented than they have
been in years past?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Well, I say definitely.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
In the West, it's you know, you're not gonna have
many easy nights, even the teams that you know are
struggling record wise, Like you said that very talented guys
all over the place, and you know Sak is missing
some bonus and Levine and guys like that, but you
got the Rows and every night you guys guys that
are you know, taking advantage opportunity when guys are out.
And so in general, I don't think you can look
at record. Every team in the NBA obviously can beat you,
(08:29):
and it's up to us to be disciplined to do
the right things and not take the approach of guys
being out or looking at a record. It's more so
focusing on what we're trying to build, the right habits
and continue to you know, head toward that path. And
so for us, we definitely shouldn't be looking at records.
Take it, like I said, a game at a time
and focus on getting back to what we did well.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
All right.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
To wrap up on a much let her note. Does
your son know what he's getting tomorrow or is it
a secret at this point? He's fourteen.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
He did his own shopping, so you can act as
surprise and when he gets it, but he picked everything hisself.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
It sounds like our kids are being raised exact same way.
Thank you email for the time, Happy holidays you and
your family. Look forward to catch up with you later
tonight and good luck tomorrow against the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Appreciate it. Same to you guys,
Twelve thirty four Sports Talk seven ninety We're gonna spend
ten minutes with the head coach of the Houston Rockets,
e may At duncan add and ross with you here
on seven ninety. Emy, thanks for joining us. I hope
we're gonna have some better conversation. We're about to have
the next handful of minutes. But things have not gone
so far well so far on this trip one and four,
(00:20):
some really tough losses, some late games, and then last
night bore the Clippers just hit everything on the floor.
You're gonna meet with a team and a half an
hour to go over some films. So would you like
to give us a sneak preview of the conversation you
may be having with the boys.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, it's really you know, getting back to who we
are as a team. You know, we last night probably
the worst worst game of the year in a lot
of aspects. But when you look at things a big
picture wise, we gave them away and you're gonna have
some poor nights. But that's why losing the Denver game
with the foul at the losing New Orleans with the
foul and giving up a lead against Sacramento That's why
(00:56):
those ones sing even more because nights like last not
are going to happen. But our main thing is trying
to keep it simple and get back to our identity.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Man, you got a veteran group. There's won a lot
of basketball games in the last year and a half.
Kevin's obviously got to distinguish NBA career. I don't think
that these athletes that, especially the ones you have, have
a little bit of that. Here we go again, Am
I right about that? And if they do have some
of that, how do you as a coach get past that?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
No?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I think it's it's simplifying things and not trying to overcomplicate.
Like I said, are some of the things we've done
over the last few years. We're having slippage in those areas,
the simple things, and like we don't have the proper
effort or attention to detail with the game plan. We
start with that first and foremost, and so for us,
it's like I said.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Getting back to that.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
You know, had a good win against Denver two games ago,
and very competitive games against quality teams.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
And so you don't forget that.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
But at the same time, even if you win those
overtime games, you know, that doesn't gloss over the areas
we need to improve in and so win, win and lose.
You know, you still look at the good and the
bad in those games, and plenty of things we could
have done to not be in those positions, especially given
up big leads against New Orleans and Sacramento.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You may there's a certain level of respect that goes
with an every NBA team, even though the wins and
losses are going to be obviously different based on who
you play every single night. Is it especially aggravating that
some of these losses have come to teams that have
really gotten off the bad starts?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Yeah, say that.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
I mean you look at the Clippers and they're probably
their records on indicative of their talent. Obviously you got
Leonard and hard and that's two really good Hall of
Fame players there. But so you respect that and understand
that they've not come out with the proper effort on
their part. And so that was the part that was
probably most frustrated last night, is that, you know, we
get a nine point lead and you know we make
(02:48):
three four plays in a road on discipline, going for
gamble steals and fouls and let them right back in
the game where they've they've got faultered at times this
year when you've gotten them into those predicaments, but we
help them get back into it and then it flipped
the other way. But yeah, overall, I would say the
Sacramentos and the New Orleans and those guys teams are
going to start to play better. And New Orleans has,
but we were doing some really good things and got
(03:11):
stagnant offensively, undisciplined defensively, and then, like I said, the
fouls at the end of the thing that stand out
the most.
Speaker 4 (03:17):
You mentioned a bit of the lack of discipline defensively,
is there What do you attribute to that? Do you
think there is just a little bit of fatigue or
tiredness or overall laziness. What would you say that you
would attribute that to.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I mean, we do have to get back to playing
harder than we have been lately. You know, that's been,
like I said, our identity last two years. And you
don't want to forget what brought you success, and so
you stick with that as you're trying to improve and
implement some things offensively with some new players and new positions,
and so we can always rely on that.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Whether you make shots or not.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
And we were doing that this year, you know, earlier
in the season, regardless of the lumps we took offensively,
as we're putting our men at the point or different
guys in different positions, still rely on that and the
last few we definitely haven't done that, hence the overtime
games in the late game.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
Falley Rocketech coach Imadoka with us here on Sports Talk
seven ninety and what do you do as a coach
when it's like sometimes last night, especially Kawhi Leonard was
just knocking down crazy shots. James Harden was knocking down
contested shots and they just go in. Is that something
you just kind of try to brush away or you
(04:26):
can do? Do you ever say that to the guys, like, hey,
good defense there and there was just nothing we could
do better offense.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
No, there are.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Sometimes where you play really good defense and guys are talented,
so they make shots.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
But it's doing your work ahead.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Of time, doing doing your work early and keeping guys
out of certain positions. And one thing we had pride
oursel phone all year was holding teams and.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Players far below their average.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
We put us that up, you know five games ago
where we held pretty much everybody well below their average,
and so where those guys get loose, especially after we
played them, you know, recently, and.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Guarded them really well.
Speaker 2 (04:59):
You know, up fifteen or thirteen free throws to Harden
means we're not being disciplined, we're reaching in, we're fouling.
You know, we gave him only five free throws last game,
and so you're gonna see two guys tomorrow with Don
chess Lee's league in free throws, Austin Reeves's top five,
and so being disciplined there and not foiling on certain
shots is a big key, and that's what gets hardening
(05:20):
those guys in their rhythm.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Emay, you did not play Kevin or outing the fourth
quarter of the game last night. I don't think Kevin
is a lip service guy. Certainly doesn't come across to
me that way. When asked about why he didn't play,
he says, like he trust you with that. Was there
a conversation head in the middle of the game, And
I don't know if it wasn't like it's not your
night or hey, I want to let everybody know that,
(05:44):
you know, nobody is sacred from guaranteed playing time, especially
if things aren't going well.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
No, we gave them the extended running third we you know,
didn't take them out their regular time and to try
to get back in the game, and it didn't go
that way. So try to inject some energy and juice
into the of the game and put some guys in
that hadn't played as much. And you know, you look
at a fifteen point deficit with about eight nine minutes ago,
you cut that down to seven, where you know, in
the next three minutes we give ourselves a chance.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
But it didn't go that way and went the opposite.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
If it did, we could have put our guys back
in and gave ourself a chance, but not a lot
of energy, like I said, or physicality in the game
in general, and wanted to give some other guys a
look to try to spark us.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
You did get the win against Denver and you now
have talked about this before. On this trip so far
you've played them three times. It's a team that very
well could play in the playoffs. You have two three
point losses and a nice win back. Does that give
you the I know we can play against the upperational
on teams.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
That isn't the question mark.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
It's about trying to give it the full throttle effort
and not letting those losses the second tier teams pile up.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Yeah, I mean, you know, I got to do a
better time of getting this motivated against everybody and think,
you know, certain matchups guys get up for, but you know,
you don't have the areas of slippers that we had
in those two games against New Orleans sack if you're
properly motivated or you know, continue to do the right
things that we got that we did to get the lead.
And so for us, it's not even about Denver, whoever
(07:14):
Lakers or whoever tomorrow. It's really focused on us a
getting back to what we've done well over to start
the season and over the last few years, what we've
built and so that you know, we shouldn't look at
anybody's record. It's more about continuing to work on our
things and taking them one as they come. And I
don't think we're looking ahead to anybody specifically. We need
to write our ship by ourselves.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
Here's somebody who's been playing and coaching in this league
for twenty five plus years. Do you feel like even
the bad teams are more talented and dangerous than they
maybe ever have been, because the Clippers have a couple
of Hall of famers even though they don't, as you said,
a little bit better than their record. The Kings and
(07:56):
the Pelicans have some good players too. Is that just
me being a recency bias or do you think that
even the bad teams are more talented than they have
been in years past?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Well, I say definitely.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
In the West, it's you know, you're not gonna have
many easy nights, even the teams that you know are
struggling record wise, Like you said that very talented guys
all over the place, and you know Sak is missing
some bonus and Levine and guys like that, but you
got the Rows and every night you guys guys that
are you know, taking advantage opportunity when guys are out.
And so in general, I don't think you can look
at record. Every team in the NBA obviously can beat you,
(08:29):
and it's up to us to be disciplined to do
the right things and not take the approach of guys
being out or looking at a record. It's more so
focusing on what we're trying to build, the right habits
and continue to you know, head toward that path. And
so for us, we definitely shouldn't be looking at records.
Take it, like I said, a game at a time
and focus on getting back to what we did well.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
All right.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
To wrap up on a much let her note. Does
your son know what he's getting tomorrow or is it
a secret at this point? He's fourteen.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
He did his own shopping, so you can act as
surprise and when he gets it, but he picked everything hisself.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
It sounds like our kids are being raised exact same way.
Thank you email for the time, Happy holidays you and
your family. Look forward to catch up with you later
tonight and good luck tomorrow against the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Appreciate it. Same to you guys,
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