Ime Udoka stood up for his team after a soft offensive foul went against Kevin Durant. The Rockets coach was ejected, as they dropped a game to the hot-shooting Chicago Bulls. But truth be told, Udoka was done with his team from the time the game started. He even questioned whether the Rockets wanted to be there in the first place.

His message after the game was crisp. “You come out like that, you’re going to be consistent, you’re going to have bad losses. This is another one of them and we stop b———-g,” a heated Udoka said during the press conference. That first quarter killed the game for the Houston Rockets.

They turned the ball over five times and only scored 21. But it is also a lack of effort on the defensive end. The Bulls hit seven threes in the first quarter, creating a 20-point advantage at the end of the period. Houston doomed themselves through unnecessary mistakes and the absence of any competitive fire.

“Poor start, disrespected the game, not prepared from the get go. Just non-aggressive following them around, watching them shoot. You know they have nothing to lose, they’re going to fire away. Obviously, to give up 41 points in that first quarter is disappointing. It was one quarter that killed us and weren’t prepared to play at all,” Ime Udoka added.

The exposing first quarter added urgency to the Rockets. But it wasn’t enough still. Houston allowed themselves to bleed out before they could take a stab at the Bulls. This marked the Rockets’ 12 loss against teams below .500. That’s the most for any team among the top six across both conferences. It highlights the Rockets’ struggles with inconsistent playmaking and concentration.

Kevin Durant tries, but streaky shooting lets the Rockets down

The Bulls needed 12 minutes to win the game. But the Rockets forced them to compete until the very end. Houston didn’t lose a quarter of basketball after the first period. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun took the onus of bringing the Rockets back into the game. They combined for 73 points, more than half of Houston’s offense.

The Slim Reaper came up with some huge plays down the stretch. He scored 15 in the fourth, making some ridiculous shots. However, a push-off call going against them spoiled the hopes for a Rockets comeback. The Bulls also put up a valiant fight in the fourth quarter to secure an impressive win.

That included three straight possessions of hitting triples. On the night, the Bulls recorded 19 threes, shooting 50% from beyond the arc. There was no stopping it. That couldn’t be said for the Rockets. This was the first game they lost since bringing Reed Sheppard back into the lineup. But the talented shooter didn’t have the best day in the office.

Sheppard made just 3 of his 14 threes. The Rockets only managed 11, despite having 41 attempts from three.

The loss came at a time the Rockets were flying. Their camaraderie was starting to show, winning back-to-back games before visiting the Bulls. Furthermore, their defense was a highlight behind their success. Those practices weren’t present to open the game. And the Rockets learned of the high cost there is to being lethargic in the NBA.

They got stunned by the Bulls, but it was a surprise the Rockets delivered to themselves. Their fighting spirit was refreshing, and is a big positive to take away from the game. Over three games, they’ve managed to play great basketball. They just need to do so consistently.

This game should be the ideal example for the Rockets. When they play without any intent, even the worst teams can steal a win from them.