‘Not prepared’: Bulls drop defenseless Rockets to No. 6 in West

Two nights after a feel-good victory at the buzzer, the Rockets went on the road and experienced one of their most discouraging losses with Monday’s 132-124 setback (box score) in Chicago.

The Rockets (43-28) fell to No. 6 in the tightly packed Western Conference standings, while Chicago (29-42) remains at No. 12 in the East.

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For Houston and its new-look starting lineup featuring Reed Sheppard, the concerns came on the defensive side of the ball. Matas Buzelis and Collin Sexton combined for 48 points while making 9-of-16 from 3-point range (46.3%), leading the way on a night where the home team shot a blistering 19-of-38 (50.0%) on 3-pointers.

In postgame comments, Ime Udoka — whose Rockets fell behind by 22 points before attempting a comeback — didn’t mince words. Among his remarks:

Poor start. Disrespected the game. Not prepared from the get-go. Just non-aggressive. Following them around and watching them shoot … Weren’t prepared to play, at all.

You look at the records, you look at who you’re playing against … and don’t come out prepared. You let them be comfortable, gain confidence.

For the Rockets, individual standouts included:

• Kevin Durant: 40 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 turnovers; 15-of-23 shooting (65.2%), 5-of-10 on 3-pointers (50.0%), 5-of-8 on free throws (62.5%)

• Alperen Sengun: 33 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals; 16-of-19 shooting (84.2%)

• Amen Thompson: 23 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks; 8-of-12 shooting (66.7%), 7-of-9 on free throws (77.8%)

• Reed Sheppard: 13 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 turnovers, 2 steals, 2 blocks; 5-of-17 shooting (29.4%), 3-of-14 on 3-pointers (21.4%)

• Jabari Smith Jr.: 6 points, 5 rebounds; 2-of-10 shooting (20.0%), 1-of-7 on 3-pointers (14.3%)

Unfortunately for the Rockets, even those extremely efficient showings weren’t enough to win on a night in which Houston’s defense was largely dreadful.

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Monday’s game in Chicago was the opener of a four-game road trip for the Rockets, who will continue it at Minnesota on Wednesday night.

In a matchup of the fifth- and sixth-place teams in the Western Conference standings, tipoff versus the Timberwolves (44-28) is at 8:30 p.m. Central. The game will be televised and streamed regionally on Space City Home Network and nationally via ESPN.

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