One Key Change That Could Help the Rockets Steal Game 2 From the Lakers

They'll have to tweak some things up, offensively.

Apr 12, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka isn't known for his offense. He's a defensive-minded coach, which has pioneered several top-five defenses. 

In fact, he's never had a ball club finish out of the top-ten in defensive efficiency. Even this year's Rockets group finished sixth in defensive efficiency, although it may seem hard to believe, based on some of the more high profile games that we witnessed. 

Like allowing the non-contending Chicago Bulls to score 41 points in the opening quarter during their loss to Chicago in March. Or allowing the Minnesota Timberwolves to rip off 15 straight points with just a handful of minutes remaining in overtime, becoming the first in NBA history to lose in such a scenario. 

This year's Rockets also ranked eighth in offensive efficiency, which is an impressive feat without a table-setting point guard. On Saturday, however, during Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers in the opening round of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, the Rockets' offense looked inept and moribund. 

Houston made just 37.6 percent of their shots from the field, which negated their 27-shot advantage over the Lakers. One key problem was Houston's process of creating and initiating offense.

Former Rockets champion guard and current ESPN analyst Kenny Smith explained it perfectly. 

"There has to be some execution and some sharing of the wealth. Meaning, who are we going to play through? 

They played through Thompson and Reed. That can't happen. They have to go back to when Kevin Durant wasn't there. And it was a Jalen Green there and Sengun.

You have to go through Sengun. The offense didn't go through him. He might have had his attempts but he wasn't the guy deciding."

Smith continued, noting Alperen Sengun’s endless comparisons to Denver Nuggets superstar big man and point center Nikola Jokic. 

"He was a guy that we called a mini baby Joker. Handling the ball at the top, making passes from the free throw line and posting up. They didn't have any semblance of that tonight."

Sengun was expected to dominate the matchup against Lakers center Deandre Ayton, but got outplayed by Ayton. Sengun had just 11 points heading into the fourth quarter and scored the final eight points when the game was out of reach and the Rockets were down 88-74.

Sengun averaged 20.5 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and 68.2 percent from the field in two regular season contests against the Lakers prior to the start of the postseason.