Don't ask me this question anymore! Udoka doesn't want to answer questions about Ison's injury situation again. He has repeatedly stated that there have been no changes and no specific timetable for his return.
Because Ison can't play, Amane is promoted to the starting lineup. Although Udoka does not appreciate Whitmore's playing style, he still has to use him. Of course, Udoka will also constantly look for opportunities to discipline Whitmore to demonstrate his authority within the Rockets team.
Udoka said in an interview that Sheppard scored 49 points in a single game in the Development League but was not selfish and did not force anything. Udoka suggests to Sheppard: "Be aggressive on offense, be confident, and be more decisive in certain aspects. As I said, he needs to control the rhythm of the game and find shooting opportunities through a lot of practice while also accepting some defensive challenges."
Udoka also said: "We have seen similar situations with Whitmore. Many times, some players' states stagnate when they get less playing time, but once they truly get the opportunity to play in actual combat, they can quickly enter the state."
Udoka admits that Jalen Green is a player with strong scoring ability and hopes he can maintain stability.
The Rockets narrowly defeated the Grizzlies to win their 26th game of the season. Jalen Green scored 42 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists, shooting 13 of 18 from the field, 5 of 6 from three-point range, and a plus-minus of +8. His performance in this game surpassed his older brother Morant, who scored 29 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists.
At the beginning of the game, Morant and Bane of the Grizzlies successively hit three-pointers. Van Jordan assisted Amane in hitting a three-pointer, and Green made a layup after breaking through. Sengun made a fadeaway jumper, and Van Jordan stole the ball and assisted Green in a dunk. Green broke through and stopped the Grizzlies. When the game resumed, Morant scored 5 points in a row, Green hit a three-pointer, and Amane cut in for a dunk to take the lead. Sengun couldn't open up the offense, Green's shooting cooled down, and the Grizzlies made a small run to lead by 7 points.
In the second quarter, Amane assisted Whitmore in hitting a three-pointer upon entry, and Holiday hit a three-pointer. Amane stole the ball, and Whitmore made a layup, Sengun made a hook shot, and the gap was reduced to 4 points. The Grizzlies quickly called a timeout to bring on Morant to strengthen the offense, while the Rockets brought on Tate to strengthen the defense. Holiday made a mistake, Morant made an alley-oop dunk, and Udoka brought on Green and Van Jordan. Tate assisted Whitmore in hitting a three-pointer, Van Jordan blocked Morant, Whitmore dunked, and Green broke through to make the Grizzlies call another timeout.
Green carried the Rockets, first forcing Clark to foul and making two free throws, then receiving a pass from Sengun to hit a three-pointer. Green made a difficult three-pointer and the extra point, and the Rockets took the lead. Whitmore failed to continue his hot hand, and the Grizzlies made a counterattack to lead by 3 points at halftime.
In the third quarter, Sengun found some rhythm, but he made a mistake and was called for an offensive foul. The Grizzlies' offensive firepower remained unabated, and Bane's three-pointer forced the Rockets to call a timeout. When the game resumed, Sengun made more mistakes and missed shots, and Morant's three-pointer gave the Grizzlies a 9-point lead. Morant stole the ball, and Bane made a layup for a 2+1, and the gap reached double digits. Udoka replaced Sengun with Whitmore. Green made two free throws, and Whitmore continued to hit three-pointers as the Rockets kept close. Tate assisted Holiday in hitting a three-pointer, and the Rockets trailed by 5 points.
In the fourth quarter, Morant made two free throws and then stole from Holiday for a dunk. Sengun was replaced due to too many fouls, and Green came on. Van Jordan started with a turnover and a miss, and Amane made a layup and a block. Green responded to Morant's three-pointer with a 2+1. Amane continued to score around the basket, and Green hit an outside shot, and the Rockets only trailed by 3 points, forcing the Grizzlies to call a timeout. Amane cut in for a dunk, and Van Jordan hit a three-pointer. Morant made a layup. Green made two free throws to score over 40 points, and the game entered a white-hot stage.
In the last 3 minutes, Udoka brought Sengun back onto the court for a final push. He immediately contributed points and assisted Amane in a dunk, giving the Rockets a 4-point lead. The Grizzlies hit a three-pointer, and Clark stole from Sengun and made a layup, but Green stood out and made a shot, keeping the Rockets ahead by 1 point. Morant made a mistake, and Amane was fouled and made two free throws, helping the Rockets secure the victory by 3 points.
Amane scored 19 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 5 blocks, also a key contributor to the win. White Magic Whitmore scored 16 points and played a crucial role. According to "Bleacher Report," Whitmore has attracted interest from multiple teams and has great room for improvement. However, seeing Whitmore's performance, some Rockets fans hope he can stay.
Sengun scored 17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, a player with both strengths and weaknesses. Van Jordan had 9 points, 9 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, and Dillon had 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals. Adams scored 2 points and 7 rebounds, Holiday scored 6 points, and Tate had 0 points and 2 assists.