Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka sharply criticized officiating following Monday’s 128-125 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets. “Just in general, I think it’s poorly officiated game I’ve seen in a long time. Two have no business being out therethe crew chief is acting star struck,” Udoka said.
Udoka referenced inconsistent calls on key plays, including a technical on Houston that he felt was unbalanced. “Two have no business being out there… we should have got a few more texts,” he added. The game was officiated by Zach Zarba (crew chief), Natalie Sago, and Jamahl Ralls.
Despite the frustrations, Udoka encouraged his team to maintain focus. “Keep being who we are… we’re not going to adjust to poor officials. We’re going to do what we do,” he said.
He praised Alperen Sengun for recording his first triple-double of the season with 33 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. “Good on offense… got to be better on defense,” Udoka noted.
Udoka highlighted Kevin Durant’s defensive presence, including five blocks. “There were some guys we had opportunity to make plays on… he should have probably had seven or eight that they call fouls on,” he said.
He also addressed Denver stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who combined for 74 points and led Denver’s late-game execution. “Murray gets 15 free throws and Jokic hits big shots. That’s what they do,” Udoka said.
The Rockets held multiple leads in the closing 1:40 of regulation, but Denver tied the game at 117 and seized control in overtime. Spencer Jones’ three-pointer extended the Nuggets’ lead, and Houston could not convert on its final opportunity.
Udoka’s remarks reflected broader frustrations with NBA officiating amid a tightly contested Western Conference matchup. Houston shot 51 percent from the field and 48 percent from three but fell short in the extra period.
With the loss, Houston drops to 10-17 and suffers a third consecutive road defeat. Denver improved to 22-5 with its fifth straight win, relying on Jokic’s 12th triple-double of the season and timely contributions from Murray and bench players.
The Rockets will travel to New Orleans on Thursday to face the Pelicans, while Denver returns to Ball Arena to host the Orlando Magic.
