The Houston Rockets thought this was their moment. A 52-30 regular season, a No. 2 seed, and a rising young core. But after getting bounced in the first round by the battle-tested Golden State Warriors, all that hype turned into heartbreak.
Game 7 ended in frustration, and head coach Ime Udoka didn’t sugarcoat it. The tone was honest. The message was clear. And for Jalen Green? Let’s just say it wasn’t a glowing review—but it wasn’t all blame either.
Udoka Breaks Down Green’s Playoff Collapse
Jalen Green was supposed to be the guy. The go-to scorer. The bucket-getter. The one who could break a defense wide open. But the Warriors clamped down, and it showed. Green averaged just 13.3 points in the 2025 NBA playoffs, and in Game 7, he disappeared. Hanging around the perimeter, hesitating on drives, and getting shut down before he could even get a look.
Udoka, though, made it clear: this wasn’t just about a bad shooting night or some cold streak. “You have to look at it as a sign of respect,” he said postgame. “The way they went after him, obviously a leading scorer, and their objective was to take him out of the series.”
Ime Udoka on Jalen Green’s Playoff “Struggles”
“Warriors objective was to take him out of the series. If he got the ball out of his hands, in numbers/an advantage he’d done his job. He didn’t get a lot of shots. But when they guarded him regularly, he had a big night.”#Liftoff pic.twitter.com/GjwzL0cfKZ
— COACH (@RocketsCulture)
But here’s the thing. When Golden State threw zone looks and double-teams at him, Houston needed more ball movement, smarter reads, and faster decisions. Udoka pointed out that Green did move the ball and created some chances in transition, but the Rockets didn’t take advantage.
“He didn’t get a ton of shots,” Udoka said. “Honestly, throughout the series, when they didn’t guard him regularly, he had obviously had a big night.”
Rockets Left Searching After Flat Finish
Houston didn’t just lose Game 7, they let it slip away. The team shot 40.5% from the field and missed plenty of looks in the paint. That’s not about talent. That’s about toughness, grit, and, yeah, basketball IQ.
Udoka didn’t hold back, saying the issue wasn’t some Warriors masterclass. “A lot of obviously physical work to be done, guys getting stronger and growing into their bodies, and all those things. But the mental side is going to be really important for us.”
He called it what it was: a failure to meet the moment. Still, Udoka isn’t hitting the panic button. He sees the series as a learning curve, especially for stars like Green. But next year, there can’t be excuses. Not with this roster. Not after a season this good.
The Rockets have the pieces. Now they must figure out how to assemble them when it matters most. The West won’t wait, and neither will the expectations.
