Ime Udoka blasts Rockets after miscues vs. Tyrese Haliburton

“We don’t communicate, we don’t stay locked in with our guy,” Udoka said when diagnosing Houston’s pick-and-roll coverage. “That non-communication and them slipping out [of screens] led to wide-open threes.”

Tuesday’s 123-117 defeat featured 19 made threes from Indiana, and Pacers starting big men Jalen Smith and Myles Turner combined for 30 points in 47 minutes. Many baskets followed a similar path. Indiana’s centers set screens for impressive young point guard Tyrese Haliburton at the top of the key, but rather than stand sturdy as Haliburton pushed downhill, the big men prematurely “slipped” their screen, darting toward the rim before Houston center Alperen Şengün could retreat back into the lane. The trick—one Atlanta also used to aplomb with Trae Young and Clint Capela—led to both easy dunks and wide-open threes, forcing Udoka to call a first-quarter timeout to address the issue. 

Houston is far from the first defense to struggle against Indiana this season. Haliburton is a rising star and an All-NBA candidate, one who—unorthodox form be damned—canned seven threes Tuesday en route to a 33-point effort. His ability to shoot from deep exacerbated Houston’s defensive issues.

Haliburton drained a 26-foot triple with 1:03 to go as Jabari Smith Jr. couldn’t quite fight through a screen. Udoka then felt forced to double-team Haliburton on the next possession with Houston trailing 120-117, but as usual, Haliburton diced the coverage with ease. He found guard Andrew Nembhard on the wing, and the scrambling Rockets defense couldn’t contain Indiana’s speedy combo guard. A made floater from Nembhard followed, effectively sealing Indiana’s win with 33 seconds remaining.

Indiana’s highly engineered offense deserves some legitimate praise, but the issues that plagued Houston on Tuesday aren’t exactly an isolated incident. This is a team with a re-worked roster and three starters 21-and-under, and we’ve seen a fair share of blown coverages and communication issues from the Rockets frontcourt in particular. The talent of Houston’s youngsters is tantalizing. The lack of experience is also often glaring. 

Houston point guard Fred VanVleet offered a word of calm following Tuesday’s loss, noting “we can’t get crazy [and] lose our heads” after one loss in an 82-game campaign. And while Udoka is right to voice his frustration, VanVleet’s words should be heeded by Houston fans after a frustrating defeat. The Rockets are still very early in their development timeline. The progress already made this season is significant. Tuesday was a defensive bump in the road, one that should serve as a learning lesson for Şengün, Smith and the rest of this group as the calendar turns to 2024. 

Udoka’s squad has another difficult defensive task ahead Wednesday night as Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns come to Houston. Tipoff from Toyota Center is slated for 7 p.m. CT.