Young Rockets answer call to 'grow up,' look to make playoff history vs. Lakers

Atlantic76ersCelticsKnicksNetsRaptorsCentralBucksBullsCavaliersPacersPistonsSoutheastHawksHeatHornetsMagicWizardsSouthwestGrizzliesMavericksPelicansRocketsSpursNorthwestJazzNuggetsThunderTimberwolvesTrail BlazersPacificClippersKingsLakersSunsWarriorsScores & ScheduleStandingsThe Bounce NewsletterNBA DraftPodcastsFantasyNBA OddsNBA PicksWhat Makes Up Championship DNA?Hollinger's Playoff PreviewPlayer Poll: Who is the MVP?Player Poll: Who Will Win Title?NBA Playoffs Alperen Şengün (28) and Jabari Smith Jr. have brought a much-needed calmness to the Houston Rockets' offense in their consecutive wins against the Los Angeles Lakers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images Share articleLOS ANGELES — After the Houston Rockets suffered one of their worst losses of the season last Friday — one many viewed as the final nail in their coffin — coach Ime Udoka delivered a message to his group summed up in two words. “Grow up,” Udoka said angrily after the Rockets’ historic collapse against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3. But when Udoka delivered that message, he wasn’t telling them to act like they’ve been there before. He was telling them to remember that they’d been in these situations and should know better about the focus and execution required to win in the playoffs, especially when their backs are against the wall. The Rockets had firsthand experience last season after recovering from a 3-1 deficit and pushing their first-round series against the Golden State Warriors to a Game 7. After Wednesday’s 99-93 victory over the Lakers in Game 5, the Rockets are working to put themselves in position to make history. Houston is looking to become the first NBA team to win a series after trailing 3-0. Game 6 is set for Friday night at Toyota Center. The Rockets have crawled back into this series without Kevin Durant, who missed the opener with a bruised right knee and has been out since Game 2 with a left ankle sprain. Udoka and his starting lineup, which features five players who are 24 years old or younger, are showing tremendous fight after most of the basketball world assumed this series was over. Houston is also showing incredible maturity for such a young team. Even if they don’t win this series, the growth the Rockets have shown in putting the Lakers on their heels proves how much they’ve learned from their mistakes rather than crumbling from the weight of them. “Big-time performances by everybody across the board,” Udoka said Wednesday. “You start this really young lineup, and they are somewhat battle-tested now. (We needed to) show growth in certain moments and progress in certain moments. Obviously, in a game situation when you turn the ball over twice and foul a shooter, you want to show growth, and I think we did that tonight.” One moment in particular put on full display Houston’s rapid growth in this series. With 2:59 left in the fourth quarter, LeBron James raced through the lane for a left-handed layup that cut what once was a 13-point Houston lead to 88-85. The roar from the Crypto.com Arena crowd was louder than it had been all night, and the memory of that Game 3 collapse hung in the air. As Houston inbounded, Udoka screamed to Reed Sheppard that he needed to demand the ball. The 21-year-old point guard jogged over and received the pass from his teammate. A million thoughts could’ve been racing through Sheppard’s mind in that moment — and there’s little doubt his costly turnover with 30 seconds left in Game 3 had to be one of them — but Sheppard made a new memory that demonstrated why Udoka still trusted him with the game on the line despite his previous mistakes. Sheppard nearly lost the ball for a second, but once he recovered, he calmly dribbled to his spot and nailed a 15-foot jumper that silenced the crowd. On the ensuing Lakers possession, Sheppard attacked James as he tried to drive to the basket and ripped the ball away for a steal before racing to the other end for an easy dunk. It was undoubtedly the biggest moment of Sheppard’s young career. “After what happened in Game 3, we could’ve very easily shut it down, pouted and quit. That’s not what we did,” Sheppard said. “We watched it, and we learned from it. We keep fighting and keep giving ourselves a chance to play.” Where this series has swung the most is with Houston’s defense, which has held the Lakers below 100 points in each of the last two games, despite the return of guard Austin Reaves (oblique strain) in Game 5. The ball pressure provided by Sheppard, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason has constantly disrupted the flow of the Lakers’ offense — after Los Angeles scored with relative ease in the first three games of the series. The Rockets have focused the most attention on slowing down Lakers guards Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, who were the stars of the series early on. Kennard was averaging 21.3 points on 55 percent shooting through the first three games of the series. He’s scored a combined eight points in the last two games, and was held to one point in Game 5 on 0-of-4 shooting. Smart was averaging 20.3 points and 8.3 assists while shooting 53 percent from the floor through the first three games. He was held to nine points in Game 4 and followed that up with 11 points and six turnovers Wednesday. “We’ve always been a good defensive team,” Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. said. “It’s just the mental side and where to be, who to close out on and tendencies, follow the game plan. “We’ve just been locking in on that the last few games, and I think it’s been working. … It’s just the mental side that’s picked up the most.” While the defense has been improved, Houston’s arguably two most talented offensive players in its young core — Alperen Şengün and Smith — have played with patience and unwavering confidence. Smith finished with a team-high 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting in Game 5, while Şengün controlled the offense with 14 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. With Durant probably unlikely to return in this series, Şengün and Smith have had to provide that steady presence on offense to slow things down and get good shots consistently. Şengün said the Lakers’ complex defensive schemes were getting him to rush on his post-ups early in the series. He was playing in traffic too much or throwing up wild shots at the rim rather than reading the floor. Now, he’s seeing a much clearer picture of what the Lakers are throwing at him and picking his spots. Over the last three games, Şengün is averaging 22 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 54.2 percent from the floor. Houston’s half-court offense was pitiful to start this series — even when Durant played in Game 2 — but it’s come a long way. “We’re learning,” Şengün said. “Watching film, watching their defense. (We) kind of understand what they’re doing now. “There’s no reason for me to rush the shot or attack the double-team. I’m just trying to pick them apart and find my teammates and find open shots. That was my job today.” As much excitement as Houston is generating by keeping this series going, it also provides incredible value for a team that isn’t just competing for the present. The Rockets are building a future around a young core showing the mental toughness and unity that are a necessity in the playoffs. Many thought they were ready to quit on each other. Now, they’re looking more dangerous than some could’ve imagined. “I feel like … we’re growing up together,” Smith said. “It’s just good to see Reed bounce back from the mistake (in Game 3), me bounce back from the mistake (in Game 3), just the team in general. With us in the same kind of situation today … a week ago, we folded and lost the game. I think that’s a step in the right direction.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms