The Houston Rockets open the Western Conference Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, and head coach Ime Udoka insists his team will not underestimate an opponent dealing with key injuries.
Both clubs avoided the Play-In Tournament and have enjoyed a five-day break to prepare. Udoka and Lakers head coach JJ Redick have spent the layoff dissecting one another’s tendencies before Game 1.
Season series sets the tone
Houston routed Los Angeles on Christmas Day, but the Lakers claimed the next two meetings by exploiting the Rockets’ late-game turnovers. “It’s fresh that we lost two games to them recently,” Udoka said. “We had a really good game against them on Christmas and obviously know they’re injured, but they still have quality players across the board… we’ll have our hands full.”
Preparing for double-teams on Kevin Durant
Los Angeles found success by sending double-teams at Kevin Durant and forcing others to make plays. Udoka expects the same look this series. “The majority of the problems came from not even completing the pass out of them,” he noted. “Numbers show we’re really good against the double-team, but they hurt us in the fourth quarter at times… We’ve had enough practice and seen enough that we know it’s something we’ll see again.”
Impact of Lakers injuries
The Lakers are preparing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, leaving questions about their offensive firepower. Even so, Udoka cautioned against reading too much into the absences, pointing to a recent win over Minnesota when Los Angeles prevailed despite missing personnel.
Smart vs. Durant matchup looms large
Lakers guard Marcus Smart is expected to spend significant time defending Durant. “It’s brutal, man,” Smart admitted. “He’s one of the greatest to play this game and he moves like a guard with a big man’s body. He’s gonna make it tough for us and we’re gonna make it tough for him.”
Game 1 tips off Saturday evening at Toyota Center in Houston.
Source: LakersNation.com
