Rockets Ime Udoka Named Western Conference Coach of the Month

An 11-game winning streak has resulted in Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka receiving Western Conference Coach of the Month honors for March.

Mar 27, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka watches his team / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Rockets' Ime Udoka was named Western Conference Coach of the Month for March, the NBA announced Tuesday afternoon. Udoka became the seventh coach in franchise history to win the award while becoming the first since Mike D’Antoni in February 2020 to receive the honor.

The Rockets posted a league-best 13-2 record in March, which included an 11-game winning streak. Udoka was able to lead Houston to its longest winning streak since the 2017-18 season without the services of Alperen Sengun and Cam Whitmore. Due to their respective injuries, both players missed nine consecutive games during the streak.

Udoka currently has the team riding a seven-game road winning streak after accumulating just five victories before March. Boston Celtics' Joe Mazzulla named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month.

Mar 27, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka watches his team / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Rockets outscored their opponents by an average margin of 9.3 points in March. They won six consecutive games by double-digits, tying for the third-longest streak in franchise history. The Rockets also scored at least 125 points in three straight games from March 19-23, marking the franchise's longest streak since November 1979.

Under Udoka, the Rockets are on pace to set the franchise record for averaging the fewest turnovers in a single season after committing the most in the league over the past three seasons.  Houston is also allowing the fewest fast break points this season after giving up the most over the past three years.

Houston is 38-36 with eight games left in the season. After going 22-60 during the 2022-23 season, the Rockets are on pace for the fifth-best improvement in win totals in franchise history.