logo
Practice interviews: Rockets make final playoff preparations for Game 1 versus Warriors

Practice interviews: Rockets make final playoff preparations for Game 1 versus Warriors

Yahoo19-04-2025

For a fourth consecutive day in advance of the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Rockets practiced Saturday at their new training center near Houston's West Loop.
Saturday's practice was the final one before their best-of-seven, first-round series (schedule) against Golden State begins on Sunday night inside Houston's Toyota Center.
Advertisement
'If it's anything like our (NBA Cup) game against Golden State, it's gonna be freaking lit,' veteran center Steven Adams said of the potential atmosphere for the franchise's first home playoff game since May 2019. 'It's going to be turned up. That was ridiculous. That atmosphere was amazing.'
Golden State (48-34, No. 7 in Western Conference) won four fewer games than the Rockets (52-30, No. 2 in West) during the regular season, which is why Houston holds home-court advantage. The Warriors did win three of five head-to-head versus the Rockets, though Houston won two of the final three.
After the opening two games at Toyota Center, the next two games of the best-of-seven series will shift to San Francisco's Chase Center, as part of the NBA's 2-2-1-1-1 format. Should further games be necessary in order for one side to reach four wins and advance, a hypothetical Game 5 and Game 7 would be in Houston, while a Game 6 would be at Golden State.
Because the Rockets practiced fairly intensely over the previous three days, Saturday's practice was shorter and lighter in nature as the team works to be in optimal condition for Sunday's Game 1.
Advertisement
By day, per Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle, Wednesday's practice focus was overall personnel; Thursday's was Houston's offense versus the Golden State defense; Friday's was Houston's defense versus the Warriors' offense; and Saturday's emphasis was on situational items, such as late-game sequences and after-timeout plays (ATOs).
Head coach Ime Udoka did reveal that veteran forward Jae'Sean Tate (ankle) and center Jock Landale (knee) would be medically unavailable to start the series. Tate injured his ankle in the final week of the 2024-25 regular season, while Landale banged knees at one of this week's practices. Their precise return timetables are not yet known, though neither was expected to feature in Houston's playing rotation for the playoffs, anyway.
Complete interviews are available for viewing below, along with select practice footage.
Steven Adams
Tari Eason
Ime Udoka
Saturday's Practice Footage
More: 'Journey to Liftoff': On eve of playoff return, Rockets release feature film
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Interviews: Tari Eason, Steven Adams, Ime Udoka on Rockets-Warriors

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Brian Windhorst Gets Honest About Chris Finch's Knicks Links
Brian Windhorst Gets Honest About Chris Finch's Knicks Links

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Brian Windhorst Gets Honest About Chris Finch's Knicks Links

Brian Windhorst Gets Honest About Chris Finch's Knicks Links originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Minnesota Timberwolves have enjoyed a strong run under Chris Finch as their head coach. Over the past two seasons, they were one of the final four teams left in the NBA Playoffs due to their two consecutive Western Conference Finals berths. Advertisement That would look good on any coach's resume, which would likely generate some interest around the league. The New York Knicks are one of those teams that may want to poach Finch because of their recent firing of Tom Thibodeau. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images It would be an exciting appointment for the Knicks because Finch has taken the Timberwolves to unprecedented heights. During the Kevin Garnett era in the 2000s, the Timberwolves made a lone Western Conference Finals appearance. Now, they have two in a row. They are building towards the future with a foundation of Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Finch as the coach. However, some people believe the Knicks could snatch Finch away from Minnesota. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst believes if that does happen, Finch's relationship with people within the Knicks organization will be integral to the move. Advertisement Related: NBA Contender Eyeing Reunion With Timberwolves' Chris Finch Finch Has Connections With People Within The Knicks Organization The architect of Finch's initial Timberwolves hiring was Gersson Rosas. He was the Timberwolves' president of basketball operations during that time, but he has since moved on to the New York Knicks. "Do keep in mind that, Chris Finch was hired in Minnesota at the middle of the season by Gersson Rosas, who is one of Leon Rose's top lieutenants," Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective. Rosas is now the senior vice president of basketball operations, who works directly with Leon Rose. Finch's relationships with Rosas and former star player Karl-Anthony Towns are the primary reasons why people see this as a good job for him to take. Advertisement Unfortunately for the Knicks fans who hope Finch will join the team, he has long-term contract with Minnesota to uphold. The Timberwolves have one of the most promising projects, headlined by superstar Anthony Edwards. Finch Would Work Better If He Stays In Minnesota After two successful Western Conference Finals runs, Finch and the Timberwolves have some work to do. They know the team is close to reaching the NBA Finals as they must work on the team making big improvements. They already have a strong foundation with Edwards, McDaniels, and the rest of the roster. The Timberwolves need that extra edge, which will come from president of basketball operations Tim Connelly doing his job at making smart roster moves. Advertisement The Timberwolves have all the potential to win the Western Conference. It will be tough due to their competition like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and the Los Angeles Lakers. With Finch at the helm, the Timberwolves have a great tactician in charge. He also needs to improve his rotations and schemes, but that can be analyzed during the offseason. The future is bright in Minnesota, and they should not worry about the Knicks poaching their coach. Related: Tim Connelly Announces He Wants To Retain Reid, Alexander-Walker, and Randle This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Knicks Requests to Interview 2 Rival Head Coaches Rejected
Knicks Requests to Interview 2 Rival Head Coaches Rejected

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Knicks Requests to Interview 2 Rival Head Coaches Rejected

Knicks Requests to Interview 2 Rival Head Coaches Rejected originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Knicks' overtures to speak with the head coaches of two rival playoff squads have been rejected. Advertisement New York recently relieved five-year head coach Tom Thibodeau of his duties, after he had led the club to its most successful season in a quarter century, a 51-win stint that ended in a six-game Eastern Conference Finals defeat to the Indiana Pacers. Under Thibodeau, the Knicks posted an impressive 226-174 regular season record, making the playoffs in four of their five seasons. Thibodeau's Knicks squads went 24-23 in the playoffs, and won four playoff series, amidst consistent roster churn. Just prior to training camp this season, New York imported five-time All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, after having added All-Defensive Team swingman Mikal Bridges earlier in the 2024 offseason. Advertisement Thibodeau leaned heavily on his starting five during the 2024-25 regular season, before finally expanding his rotation during the postseason. Some critical fans — and, fatally, Knicks decision makers in the front office and ownership group — grew frustrated with the 67-year-old Thibodeau's perceived overreliance on a finite rotation. Still, Thibodeau got a lot out of his squads, and helped raise the ceiling of a franchise that had struggled to enjoy consistent success this century prior to his arrival. Brad Penner-Imagn Images Now, it appears that the Knicks are aiming to make a splash with their next hire, targeting a few head coaches currently on long-term deals with playoff teams. Advertisement Sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN that New York asked to interview with Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch about their new head coaching vacancy. Finch, 55, has been serving as Minnesota's head coach since midway through All-NBA superstar shooting guard Anthony Edwards' 2020-21 rookie season. He boasts a 209-160 overall regular season record, and a 21-21 playoff record. Finch has guided the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals in each of the past two postseasons. Udoka, 47, has been in Houston since 2023. He owns a 93-71 regular season record with the Rockets and led the franchise to its first playoff stint this spring, a seven-game first series loss to the Golden State Warriors. Advertisement During his one-and-done season coaching the Boston Celtics, Udoka in 2021-22, Udoka guided Boston to a 51-31 record and an NBA Finals berth... where the Celtics fell to the Warriors. Provided Udoka doesn't have to play Golden State in the postseason, he seems to have plenty of upside on the hardwood. Charania adds that the Knicks have yet to reach out to ex-New York point guard Jason Kidd, currently the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas would apparently reject an interview request, however. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.

Michael Cooper believes Magic Johnson deserved the Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1985 Finals: "I'm sure he wanted those"
Michael Cooper believes Magic Johnson deserved the Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1985 Finals: "I'm sure he wanted those"

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Michael Cooper believes Magic Johnson deserved the Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1985 Finals: "I'm sure he wanted those"

Michael Cooper believes Magic Johnson deserved the Finals MVP over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1985 Finals: "I'm sure he wanted those" originally appeared on Basketball Network. In the NBA, the spotlight doesn't always land on the team's certified No. 1 option when it comes to their biggest triumphs. Advertisement A perfect example of this could be seen in the Boston Celtics' 2024 title victory, where Jaylen Brown was awarded the Finals MVP over Jayson Tatum. Similarly, in the 2025 Eastern Conference finals, it was Pascal Siakam who walked away with the MVP honor over Tyrese Haliburton. For Michael Cooper, such scenarios bring back memories of his own experience with the Los Angeles Lakers, especially during the 1985 NBA Finals. As, according to the former Defensive Player of the Year, it was Magic Johnson who truly carried the team on and off the court, but it was eventually Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who walked away with the Finals MVP honor. Cooper explained why Magic deserved the '85 Finals MVP award over Kareem A 37-year-old "Cap" was statistically the Lakers' best player during the 1985 NBA Finals when they beat their arch-rivals Boston Celtics, averaging a team-high 25.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists over six games. However, for Coop, Johnson's leadership was the ultimate x-factor for the Showtime Lakers. Advertisement Speaking on his podcast, the 69-year-old former shooting guard recalled how while Kareem might be prejudged as the team's anchor in terms of production, it was Magic who orchestrated the offense and encouraged all the players to find their rhythm, especially after dropping the series opener by 34 points. Moreover, Cooper understood that given that Abdul-Jabbar was in the last leg of his career, the emotional sentiment motivated everyone to crown him the Finals MVP, which made everyone conveniently overlook the fact that the team's point guard had averaged 18.3 points and a staggering 14.0 assists while playing the most minutes for the team in that series. "Magic was very pivotal in the room and for the entire series because he was the one that was firing us up, getting us ready to go. Kareem was a player that you didn't have to talk to much in the locker room. He was reading a newspaper or (was) in his own world," Cooper recalled the behind-the-scenes talks. "Magic was never about individual accolades, although I'm pretty sure he wanted those. We all do, but Magic was about the bottom line, 'How many championships?'... What you don't know is Magic was always in Kareem's ears and fed him the ball constantly," Cooper concluded. Advertisement Related: "He said, 'You the guy that broke all my records in high school, right?" - Shawn Kemp on the time Larry Bird told him exactly what he was going to do before scoring 40 points Magic made sure to bring out the best in Kareem When looking back on Kareem's illustrious resume, which contains six championships and six MVPs, it's impressive how he attained individual as well as team success so thoroughly. There's no denying that his dominance redefined the center position and earned him well-deserved accolades. But as Mike pointed out, without Magic's unselfish play and leadership, some of those titles might not have materialized. In 1980, for example, a young Magic stepped up when Kareem was injured. In the 1982 playoffs, Kareem averaged just 20.4 points, but it was Johnson again who fueled the Lakers' title run. Advertisement Even in 1987 and 1988, during Kareem's final championship runs, he averaged just 16.6 points across those two postseasons, while Magic continued to steer the ship and helped him add more silverware to his resume. Safe to say, had it not been for Magic, who knows, without those Larry O'Brien trophies, many would have found flaws in Abdud-Jabbar's legacy as well. Thankfully, Abdul-Jabbar had a teammate from Michigan who did everything to enrich his name in the basketball lore, and Coop recognized it fully. Related: "It was easy, beautiful basketball" - The moment Spencer Haywood realized what a genius Magic Johnson was This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store