Alperen Sengun’s missed second free throw in the last moments of the game had given the Lakers a glimmer of hope, as they were just three points behind. A deep shot could still save them. They got that opportunity with 7.1 seconds left on the clock. However, the Rockets made sure the ball didn’t end up in LeBron James‘ hands. But there was a time-out call that went unnoticed amid all the pumped-up energy in the game.

The ball was with Max Christie, who stood at the sidelines waiting to inbound it. As he did, LeBron James made a gesture with his hands, signaling for a timeout. However, the officials ignored his request. Before LeBron could reach out to receive the ball, Fred VanVleet made a crucial steal, securing the most pivotal play of the game. Had the ball been passed to LeBron, he could have easily flipped the script. Instead, the game ended 119-115 in favor of the Rockets. And head coach Ime Udoka couldn’t have been more proud of his veteran guard.

“I think it was it was big,” Udoka said during the postgame press conference. Talking about VanVleet’s heroic move, the 47-year-old stated, “If he’s gonna get out there and deny it that well and everybody else denied and took it away, it opens up the lane for the steal. And so he was in perfect position regardless, had pushed James away from the basket. And if he would’ve had it, he could’ve fouled, obviously, with his back to the basket, but read it perfectly. And that’s why we put him in this position where we put him on the court, ball side, top of the key to take away those actions.”

VanVleet’s veteran mindset truly helped the Rockets secure the win. Had he not managed to steal the ball in crunch time, as Udoka mentioned, it might have resulted in a foul and possibly changed the outcome of the game. That’s not the only thing that helped the team. There were other adjustments involved as well, which were specifically done for LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Ime Udoka reveals key strategies used against LeBron James and Anthony Davis

What’s the easiest way to stop the Lakers’ offensive flow? The answer is simple— hold back LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the driving forces behind their scoring. And that’s exactly what Ime Udoka and his Houston squad did on Sunday night. How? Well, he made some strategic adjustments before welcoming the Purple and Gold.

When asked whether Udoka would play Amen Thompson and Jae’Sean Tate in place of Tari Eason and Jabari Smith, the head coach responded, “No. I wouldn’t say necessarily overall. I think it’s for tonight.” Explaining his plan for the Lakers game, Udoka said, “We wanted, defensive guys out there with Davis and James. And so started them in and Dylan on those two, and then, you obviously want a bigger body that can be physical and switch some of those actions as well. And so that’s what was needed tonight”

That didn’t necessarily stop Anthony Davis from scoring 30 points, but LeBron James was held to just 21, which worked in the Rockets’ favor. While last night belonged to Houston, the Lakers will certainly try to come out stronger in their next matchup to avenge this defeat and settle the score.