Ime Udoka Notes How Crucial Kevin Durant Was to the Rockets in Loss to Trail Blazers

As quickly as things got back on track for the Houston Rockets in late December, they fell apart in early January. It's a small stretch, but they're 2-3 in 2026, having now dropped back-to-back games in Portland against the Trail Blazers.

Friday's 111-105 loss was even more disappointing than Wednesday's, which ended with a 103-102 score. The Rockets had a lead for almost the entire game until the final three minutes, when the Trail Blazers outscored them 34-15 in the fourth quarter to close it. They were up by as many as 13 points.

Like Houston's previous loss to Portland, Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson were the only efficient contributors on the offensive end. The 37-year-old notched 30 points, 12 rebounds and four assists on 11-for-20 shooting, while Thompson finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and three assists on 9-for-17 shooting.

Reed Sheppard looked impressive on the surface with 20 points, but posted 38-36-0 shooting splits. He was a net negative in his 34 minutes of action, and the rest of Houston's bench put up just seven points.

Head coach Ime Udoka didn't sugarcoat his words after the loss, noting how important Durant is to this team. He called out the rest of the rotation,

"We take a 37-year old out of the game for 2 minutes and you lose a 13 point lead"
--Ime Udoka on what happened in the #Rockets 111-105 loss to Portland

Next up for the @HoustonRockets - At Sacramento on Sunday pic.twitter.com/K7968o9SGq
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) January 10, 2026

"We take a 37-year-old out of the game for two minutes and you lose a 13-point lead, 11-0 run. That's what went wrong," Udoka said. "[We] don't play with any aggression [and] confidence, [we're] mentally weak. You have a 15-point quarter, 1-for-17 from three, I think a bunch of wide-open looks.

"Making shots helps, but you have to guard on one end, and you have to play with some aggression on one end, drive it physically. Take care of the ball, not turn it over. So all of the above. But the fact that we have to rely on a 37-year-old for 40-plus minutes is a problem.

Durant was noticeably frustrated during the game as well, getting caught on the broadcast throwing his water bottle during a timeout. It came after a sequence in mistakes from Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson.

Kevin Durant was pissed after that Jabari missed 3 three that hit the backboard and Amen Thompson not slowing it down when it was a 2 pt game which costed them the game smh.

Young dudes gotta be better a 37 year old shouldn’t have to carry this much of a damn load‼️#AllFire pic.twitter.com/imSktL18bh
— 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘢☆ (@Stunna999_) January 10, 2026

Houston is now 23-12 on the season, good for sixth in the Western Conference. Despite being in a playoff spot right now, the Rockets have been generally underperforming over the last month and a half. The Phoenix Suns are a half-game back from them, which could send Houston back to the Play-In Tournament if things continue to go south.