ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 4/18/2026 (Playoffs Round 1, Game 1)

The most troubling thing is Finney. He suddenly can't shoot after shooting well enough recently enough for 3 different other teams, 3 different other systems. Puts a spotlight on Rockets coaching. @PWR 's post adds more lumens to the beam by having the wrong starting lineup. The players all have major flaws, but we're not making the best lemonade.

Rockets lost that game "comfortably". No way that should've happened just like losing Game 3 last year with no Butler.

 

There were some of us in there. Vibes were ok the first half, bad/boring in the second

 

Broadcasters were saying all night Lakers should not push the pace.

Meanwhile Ime: slows the pace to suit the Lakers.

Hilarious.

 

Both Sengun and Clint should be embarrassed with what we saw defensively last night. Honestly what was that?

 

I genuinely don’t understand why this ****ing team is favored in game 2.

 

You watched the whole thing?

I can't even watch highlights.

 

Running a slow conservative offense last year was tremendously stupid. So they double down on it, trade young for old and extend a walk it up, chuck it up PG that was one of the least efficient starters in the league. Then they go out and sign a crippled old guy, extend an aging center that gets hurt every year. This off-season, wash, rinse, repeat.

 

Plenty of blame to go around, but throughout the rebuild, it always seemed like almost everyone agreed that the rebuild's success would depend on at least one of various players taking a leap. That hasn't happened, so we're in a bad place. Maybe a very bad place.

At times like these you just have to walk around the yard, look at the spring growth, and remember that there's a new Boards of Canada release coming (or whatever floats your boat).

 

Very embarrassing game for the entire organization. Bronny James was on the floor in the 2nd quarter.

This game was a microcosm of the season. The root issue is, Sengun, Amen and Jabari, all young players before their prime who should have gotten better this season, either regressed or were the same as last season. This game and season as a whole is the result.

 

I think honestly you're over thinking this...I also think it's odd people just dismiss players like Charles as if he doesn't know what offense is, like others haven't been saying all year long how poorly run this offense is, why are you acting like this is new criticism? It's always a little odd to me how fans will just assume they know more about basketball than a literal ex-MVP player, a player that was once one of the best players in the world and just assume he doesn't know what he's talking about and compare him to literal casuals acting like he really just thinks "If they miss, it must be they are running ISO" and Charles never even said that. He said it looks like the Rockets don't know what they are doing. Like you really think Chuck doesn't know what a DHO is or haven't seen it ever before? I'm willing to bet Charles has watched and looked over more basketball film in one month of his career than you or I have in our lives. He also was watching the game, if he doesn't watch the game he usually just says so but even still...Chuck isn't the only ex-player or ex-coach that's said this about the Rockets.

It's not that the Rockets are running strict ISO, it's not like they go down the court and say alright, move out of the way, Reed gets this shot. No one means that the Rockets LITERALLY run no plays (Although Jabari himself said they run almost no plays for him, one of their best shooters lol), its that the play ends up being a 1 on 1 play, no matter the action they run, therefore it looks a lot like Isolation because it doesn't end in a good look...and it doesn't end in a good look because the only good 1on1 players we have are KD and Sengun.

For example, how many plays would end with Amen just slashing to the rim last night with a defender in his face? How many times did he get open dunks? Look at the shots Luke was getting vs the ones Reed gets.

You're talking about how untalented the Rockets are, who had the more talented team on the floor last night, which team LOOKED like they had the more talented team?

I mean yes, obviously OKC plays better offense with SGA on the floor, but the Rockets could have their full team this year and still lose to SGA-less OKC. Rockets lose a lot of games to teams they are clearly better than, how is this not on coaching? Of course it's going to be hard to score no matter how much action you run when you put out lineups with Tate/Sengun/Alpi lol.

 

The NBA decided to rig this series to give LA something to be excited about. They took KD out of game 1 to extend the series and milk it for more money. It's absolutely insulting.

 

Plain and simple: The Lakers vulnerability is their interior defense. With or without KD, the Rockets game plan should’ve been to exploit that w/ Sengun, not running the offense through Reed and Amen. Sengun’s line of 6 of 19 from the field for 19pts against these Lakers is either an indictment of him, the offensive game plan, or both. It’s money time, and the 1st test was failed

 

If Udoka is not fired which will not happen, then at least get an offensive guru to be an assistant coach and let that guy draw up plays and have the Rockets run a real offense. Also count me as someone that never wants to see Sengun initiate the offense at the top of the key.

 

That’s the thing, he’s literally trading and acquiring assets just to suit his random personality. He wants to make a roster of 15 players a style that is no better than any other style when executed well.

He inherited the fastest team in the NBA. He built it around the only slow guy (Sengun). Then he acquired slow guys non-stop (FVV, Brooks, Adams, Capela, DFS and understandably Durant). Now the team collapses if these turtles aren’t playing and all the fast guys are marginalized.

What are we now? Do we see a young team out there full of energy, athleticism and speed? The Lakers looked younger than us even though they’re twice our age.

Udoka must turn it around because this will be his third consecutive ugly first round series against less talented opponents. Right now his defining quality is his teams play down to opponents in the playoffs. He doesn’t know how to enforce his team’s advantages on the opponent - he just wants to struggle with the opponent. He only thrives when he’s the underdog so he digs holes for his team to climb out of.

 

It's funny how this season has been as far as fan reactions are concerned lol. One moment everyone is on cloud 9 then the next moment everyone is in hell. Rinse and repeat.

 

That is the KD effect, when you focus on a 37 year old and not getting better.......

DD

 

I would too. Sengun is an inefficient 1 level scorer and a poor defender. Hard to win at the highest levels if that is your center. Look, Sengun is very talented, but he has so many flaws that make it hard to maximize him.

 

The real question is: Who put this horrible squad of non-shooters together? Was it Udoka or Stone? That is what every fan of the team needs to be asking. Action then needs to be taken in the offseason to remediate the issue.

 

Exactly and it isn’t as if I don’t like him. It has to do with the configuration of the players on the Rockets roster. Unfortunately the weaknesses in his game are magnified on this team. He is hard to build around in general, but there are better fits for him out there.