The NBA has fined Rockets head coach Ime Udoka $25,000 for his public comments criticizing the officiating after Houston’s overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday, according to a league press release.
Udoka was blunt in his postgame remarks, calling it “the most poorly officiated game I’ve seen in a long time.”
He also took aim at the officiating crew, saying, “Two (referees) have no business being out there and the crew chief was acting star-struck. You’re seeing all kinds of inconsistent calls.”
While Denver was actually called for more total fouls than Houston, the NBA’s last two minute report supported parts of Udoka’s frustration.
The league acknowledged that the only three incorrect calls in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime all benefited the Nuggets.
Those errors included a foul on Kevin Durant against Nikola Jokic, a missed loose-ball foul by Tim Hardaway Jr. on Alperen Sengun, and an incorrect foul call on Amen Thompson late in overtime.
The fouls on Durant and Thompson led to four made free throws by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, which accounted for the margin in Denver’s three-point win.
Rockets' coach Ime Udoka was fined $25K for comments made about the officials after Houston's loss to the Nuggets. Story: https://t.co/vd03xDsb23
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) December 18, 2025
