Rockets blow 6-point lead in final 30 seconds, trail Lakers 3-0
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- Ime Udoka blasted his team's collapse as "horrendous mistakes" and told them to "grow up," saying "You're not that young anymore" after the Rockets blew a six-point lead inside the final 30 seconds of regulation.
- LeBron James stole the ball from Reed Sheppard and drilled a game-tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds left in regulation, and Marcus Smart made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt with 25 seconds remaining — the two plays that erased Houston's 101-95 lead.
- Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 33 points and 16 rebounds but missed a go-ahead 7-footer in the final seconds of regulation, and Sheppard called his own turnover that led to James's steal "a stupid turnover."
- Kevin Durant sat out his second straight game of the series — this time with a sprained left ankle after missing Game 1 with a right knee injury — and Udoka said his status for Sunday's Game 4 is "up in the air."
- Udoka acknowledged a season-long weakness, calling closing out fourth quarters "obviously a weakness of ours," and immediately made the team rewatch the final 30 seconds of regulation after the loss.
- The Rockets are facing elimination in Game 4 on Sunday in Houston after returning to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2020 and getting bounced in seven games by Golden State in the first round.
Why it matters: Houston is now one loss from a second straight first-round playoff exit, and the collapse suggests a structural closing problem that Udoka has now publicly identified. With Durant's availability uncertain and the team down 3-0, the Rockets need a win Sunday to keep their season alive, and Udoka's "grow up" message signals frustration with a group he no longer considers inexperienced enough to excuse late-game breakdowns.
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