The Houston Rockets went down 101-94 in Game 2 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kevin Durant’s return did little to help the Rockets as they were outclassed by Los Angeles at the Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
The loss saw Houston cop criticism from NBA champion Kendrick Perkins, who didn’t mince words when dissecting the game.
Kendrick Perkins Rips Into Rockets After Game 2 Loss Against Lakers
Speaking on ESPN’s “Get Up,” Perkins called out the Rockets for their second consecutive loss. “The Rockets are the dumbest team, and the most selfish team, in the postseason,” the NBA champion said.
“JJ Redick is coaching his a** off so much that he’s coaching circles around Ime Udoka. We could blame Kevin Durant for those 9 turnovers, but we could also blame Ime Udoka for having Kevin Durant in that position, knowing that they’re going to send two people at him at every single time and double him,” Perkins said.
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“How about Alperen Şengün? When are you going to get your big a** down and start playing some damn defense? You’re the center now. It’s no Steven Adams. Are you going to at least try to protect the basket? What is going on with you? And then when you look across the board at Ime Udoka and his rotations, you have [Dorian] Finney-Smith on the sideline. You haven’t used him once.
“You’re one of the worst shooting 3-point teams in the NBA. You shot 7-for-29 from three last night,” he continued before adding that the Rockets lacked togetherness.
The Rockets were stifled on offense as the Lakers clamped down on Durant by double-teaming the veteran forward. Turnovers and lack of effort on defense saw the Lakers stay ahead for a major part of the game. Now, the Lakers have a 2-0 lead over Houston, an outcome most believed wasn’t possible.
LeBron James was a force once again, leading with a team-high 28 points, coupled with 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Marcus Smart had 25 points and 7 assists, while sharpshooter Luke Kennard added 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals.
The Rockets were led by Durant’s 23 points, while Şengün propped up 20 points and 11 rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in with 18 points and 6 boards in the losing effort.
With the Lakers taking the first two games, the action now shifts to Houston, where the Rockets will look to try to win at home. What changes Udoka makes after these losses remain to be seen; Game 3 gets underway at the Toyota Center on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
