Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka reflected on Payton Pritchard's lack of playing time, and how far the Celtics guard has come.

Udoka, now coaching the Rockets, saw Pritchard step into an important role as the Celtics marched to the 2022 NBA Finals before losing to the Warriors.

Former Celtics coach Ime Udoka beat his former team for the first time ever, though he didn't overplay the Rockets' win in Boston.

Houston is coming,” veteran NBA media personality Stephen A. Smith said during an ESPN segment praising Amen Thompson and Rockets coach Ime Udoka.

The Rockets sit second in the Western Conference and just beat the Cavaliers twice in four days, knocking them from the top spot in the NBA.

We are over halfway through now, and our record is what it is,” Ime Udoka says of the Rockets (32-14). “It is not just a fluke or anything.”

The Celtics will be down two rotation players, so expect C’s coach Joe Mazzulla to dip into his bench. The last time the Celtics were shorthanded like this, Jaden Springer emerged off the bench in an impressive game against the Clippers in Los Angeles. Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman could also see some playing time in the rotation.

The Houston Rockets are targeting a former Ime Udoka player from the Boston Celtics on the trade market, per a report.

To open a road back-to-back, the Rockets are underdogs Monday at Boston. The defending champion Celtics (-6.5) enter with three wins in four games.

The Rockets won't have to wait until their young players get older to compete in the postseason. Houston looks ready to match up with any opponent as currently constructed.

The Rockets seem leery of trading for De'Aaron Fox. Will that extend to deals for other veterans that could raise their ceiling by breaking up their young core?