The Houston Rockets’ resurgence under Ime Udoka continues to turn heads, and now the first-year head coach has another accolade to show for it.
The NBA announced that Udoka has been named Western Conference Coach of the Month for January, marking the fifth time he has won the award in just 13 months as a head coach.
Udoka led the Rockets to an 11-4 record in January, the best winning percentage in the Western Conference (.733) and the second-best in the NBA. Even more impressive, nine of those 15 games were on the road, where Houston went 7-2, including statement wins over Boston, Cleveland, and Denver.
Houston has been one of the most balanced teams in the league, ranking fifth in points allowed (108.5 PPG) behind a balanced scoring attack that features Jalen Green, all-star center Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, and Dillon Brooks.
The Rockets have also stepped up in clutch situations, going 7-2 in games decided by five points or fewer in January and owning a league-best 12 such wins this season.
Now sitting at 32-16, Houston is off to its best start since 2017-18, when it won a franchise-record 65 games. With Udoka at the helm, the Rockets have transformed into a legitimate force in the Western Conference—one that isn’t backing down from the league’s best.
