Ime Udoka, Rockets testing Steph Curry, Warriors with innovative defense

Ime Udoka's Houston Rockets team tied its first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors at 3-3 on Friday. Both teams will now square off in a win-or-go-home setting on Sunday.

For Udoka, this is an opportunity to gain some redemption. The last time he faced Stephen Curry in a postseason setting was the 2022 NBA Finals, when Udoka was leading the Boston Celtics. The then-rookie head coach received significant criticism for instructing his players to go under screens when guarding the greatest shooter in league history. 

Boston lost that series. Now in his second year as the Rockets' head coach, Udoka appears to have found a way to limit Curry's effectiveness. 

Houston has limited Curry and the rest of the Warriors by running an innovative style of zone defense. The system blends concepts from a 2-3 zone and some box-and-one concepts to create a hybrid approach.

“It was out of necessity (creating the zone),” Udoka said on Friday. “The communication is probably even better in our zone than in man-to-man. Obviously, we’re dominant with our size.”