The Rockets’ three-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night after Houston suffered a 120-111 loss to the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Cup.
But much of the postgame conversation seemed to center around the second-year lockout in the fourth quarter Rockets head coach I am Udoka. Rocket forward Alperen Sengun was also thrown out of the match.
The coach and the player both appeared to be upset at the way the match was officiated, particularly the series of apparent missed calls after fouls against Sengun.
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December 3, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is ejected during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center. (Sergio Estrada-Imagn images)
Udoka eventually turned his ire on referee John Goble, leading to the aforementioned expulsion of the head coach.
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Although Udoka was disqualified from the match, he did not leave the field of play quietly. A Rockets assistant had to come between a visibly upset Udoka and the referee.
After the match, Udoka explained that he took offense to the way the match was officiated.
The Houston Rockets introduce Ice Udoka as the next head coach during a press conference on April 26, 2023 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. (Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images)
“Missed calls, blatant missed calls right in front of you. You’re calling up moving screens, little things, but you don’t want to call the obvious ones right in front of you. That’s it.”
December 3, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka is ejected by referee John Goble (10) during the fourth quarter against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center. (Sergio Estrada-Imagn images)
Udoka then shared some details about what he said during the conversation with the referee.
“I thought (Sengun) made a couple of mistakes on that drive and on the layup, and they don’t want to call it. So I told him to get some damn glasses and open your eyes,” Udoka said.
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The Rockets entered Wednesday in second place in the Western Conference. Houston had won 10 of its last 12 games before Tuesday’s loss.
The Warriors of the Golden State host the Rockets on December 5.
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