"I don't understand Slovenian" - Ime Udoka fires back at Luka Doncic for chirping after dagger shot on Rockets
The Houston Rockets and coach Ime Udoka experienced the disappointment of seeing their team's slim playoff aspirations dashed on Sunday afternoon with an overtime 147-136 loss on the road to the Dallas Mavericks.
During the waning moments of overtime, Luka Doncic sealed the game for the Mavericks with a crucial shot, accompanied by what seemed like a message directed towards Udoka as he made his way down the court.
When questioned about the incident post-game, Udoka responded with a hilariously candid remark:
“I don't understand Slovenian so I don't know.”
Despite maintaining a lead for the majority of the game, including holding a 15-point edge at the conclusion of the first quarter, the Rockets found themselves pushed into overtime due to a buzzer-beater in regulation by Dante Exum.
Exum, experiencing a career resurgence during his tenure with Dallas, played a pivotal role. Ultimately, Udoka's squad will now officially be relegated to watching the postseason from home, despite a recent 11-game winning streak that surprised pundits and fans across the league.
Luka Doncic was asked about the back-and-forth with Udoka to which he responded by:
“He was talking to me in the first game there, so you know I’m going to go back.”
Houston Rockets and Ime Udoka's playoff aspirations go down the drain
Coach Udoka and the Rockets drew attention across the league with a surprising 11-game winning streak. This streak transformed them from a presumed lottery team to contenders with a real shot at upsetting the competition.
However, the Rockets experienced a string of losses in recent games, while the Warriors have shown improved stability. Golden State's recent victory in the Rockets' home arena effectively dashed Houston's hopes of securing the coveted number 10 slot in the standings.
The standout performance by Klay Thompson during this game further solidified the Warriors' dominance and diminished any remaining realistic chance for the Rockets to clinch the spot.
In his inaugural year leading the Houston team after guiding the Boston Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals, Ime Udoka has seen relative success. The strategic acquisitions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks in free agency proved fruitful for the team.
Additionally, despite the irony of Alperen Sengun's absence due to injury throughout the winning streak and the remainder of the season, his emergence as a player with genuine star potential has been notable.
Despite a disappointing conclusion, the expectation for the Rockets next year will likely be to at least secure a spot in the Play-In round.