HOUSTON – The Houston Rockets entered Friday night with a chance to force a do-or-die game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
With their season on the line, the Rockets fell flat, scoring a season-low 78 points in a 98–78 blowout loss.
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“Everyone’s disappointed,” head coach Ime Udoka said in the postgame press conference. “That was not what we expected coming into the game tonight — or the series in general.”
Lakers star LeBron James led all scorers with 28 points, while Rui Hachimura added 21. Amen Thompson paced the Rockets with 18.
“I really wanted to win,” Thompson said after the loss. “I didn’t even have thoughts about after... I’ll be thinking about this all summer.”
The Rockets’ previous season low in scoring was 91 points, making Friday’s performance a new low in their final game of the year. Their 78-point total also tied for the fifth-lowest single-game output in the NBA this season.
“We didn’t make shots,” Rockets guard Reed Sheppard said after the game.
It was hard to ignore the gaps in the Rockets’ offensive firepower, with Kevin Durant sidelined by an ankle injury sustained in Game 2, and both Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams out for the season.
“We cannot think about that stuff,” center Alperen Şengün said. “You’ve got to fight with whoever is on the court. Obviously, I was upset losing Fred and Steven… but you’ve got to learn.”
After the final buzzer, Rockets players were emotional as their season came to an end sooner than anyone in the building had hoped.
Players described a somber locker room, with hugs, words of encouragement, and jersey exchanges.
“Nobody was ready for [the season] to be finished,” Şengün said. “We win together, we lose together, and we stay together… We have a big summer ahead of us.”
That summer could include roster changes, as the Rockets face difficult questions about their future.
Tari Eason, who is entering free agency, expressed uncertainty about his future in Houston, saying, “God knows.”
When asked about preparing for next season, Udoka said, “I’ll get to it ASAP.”