Houston Rockets pull the trigger and hire their new head coach
ROCKETS NEWS
24 April 2023
ROCKETS NEWS
After interviewing several coaching candidates, Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Houston Rockets are hiring former Celtics coach Ime Udoka.
Rockets and Udoka moved fairly quickly toward each other after initial meeting, sources tell ESPN. Udoka and GM Rafael Stone kept talking on job. Both sides had some strong options in the marketplace but a deal got done in the last 24 hours to land Udoka with the Rockets. Young… https://t.co/fRPG3Wwy2Y
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 24, 2023
In his only year as head coach, Udoka lead the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals. He was then suspended a few months later for inappropriate workplace activities.
Udoka will have his hands full, with a very talented young Rockets team that finished 22-60 this season.
Next up, the Rockets will find out where they are going to pick when the NBA Lottery takes place on May 16.
ESPN Houston's The Wheelhouse weighs in on the hire.
Christian Walker homered among his three hits and had a season-high four RBIs to lead the Houston Astros over the Chicago White Sox 10-2 on Wednesday night.
ALL-STAR SMASH.#VoteWalker ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHQMR1 pic.twitter.com/DDzNOvnsXt
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 12, 2025
Jose Altuve added two hits to give him 2,300 in his career, joining Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (2,342) as the only active players with at least 2,300.
The GOAT with another milestone.
Congrats to Altuve on 2,300 career hits! #VoteAltuve ⭐️ https://t.co/W06pfHRkGz pic.twitter.com/gtaLqdegqM
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 12, 2025
Altuve got things going with an RBI double in the first. There were two outs in the inning when Walker homered to left field off Sean Burke (3-7) to make it 3-0.
Houston starter Ryan Gusto (4-3) allowed seven hits and two runs with a season-best seven strikeouts in a season-high six innings.
Josh Rojas had two hits for the White Sox, who fell to 7-27 on the road.
Altuve singled with two outs in the third before Yainer Diaz walked. Walker then smacked a line drive to center field for a double to score them both and push the lead to 5-0.
There was one out in the fourth when Cam Smith hit a ground-rule double. With two outs, Jeremy Peña doubled on a ball that bounced off the wall in left field to make it 6-0. Isaac Paredes followed with another RBI double to chase Burke, who yielded eight hits and seven runs — both career highs — in 3 2/3 innings.
Rojas singled in the fifth and moved to third on a ground-rule double by Vinny Capra. Rojas scored on a groundout by Mike Tauchman to cut it to 7-1. Miguel Vargas hit an RBI single to make it 7-2.
Paredes had three hits and two RBIs to help the Astros snap a two-game skid.
Walker’s home run that put Houston up 3-0 early.
He talked about his big night following the game.
Christian Walker’s four RBIs were a season-high pic.twitter.com/V2cQWk6pRC
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) June 12, 2025
Walker had just two RBIs in his previous six games.
Houston LHP Framber Valdez (6-4, 3.07 ERA) opposes RHP Davis Martin (2-6, 3.62) when the series concludes Thursday night.