Rockets coach Ime Udoka tells team to 'grow up' after blowing late lead to fall behind Lakers 3-0 in playoffs

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The Houston Rockets were roughly 25 seconds away from sealing their first win of the NBA playoffs. Instead, they'll have to make an unprecedented comeback.

The Rockets blew their late six-point lead to the Los Angeles Lakers after costly turnovers and now trail three games to none.

No NBA team has ever come back from that deficit, and Rockets head coach Ime Udoka gave his team a stern message.

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Head coach Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets speaks with Tari Eason during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center in Houston on April 24, 2026. (Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)

"Grow up," he said of his message to the team after the loss. "You’re not that young anymore. You’ve been to the playoffs once, and we watched every situation just now."

Even with Kevin Durant out for a second game in this series — this time with a sprained ankle after missing Game 1 with a knee injury — the Rockets were in position to close out the game after LeBron James had consecutive turnovers that Houston turned into a 101-95 lead.

It was then that everything went wrong for the Rockets. Marcus Smart was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 25 seconds to go in the fourth after a Houston turnover and made all three free throws to get the Lakers within three.

Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka reacts during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, April 24, 2026. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

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James then stole the