DENVER — Coach Ime Udoka did not hold back on the officiating after his Houston Rockets lost 128-125 to the Denver Nuggets in overtime Monday night at Ball Arena, in one of the most entertaining games of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.

“Just in general, I think, most poorly officiated game I’ve seen in a long time,” Udoka said in response to a question about a non-call against Denver center Nikola Jokić on a second-quarter shot attempt by Houston center Alperen Şengün.

“Two have no business being out there, and the crew chief was acting starstruck. So we were seeing all kind of inconsistent calls. You’re seeing all kind of inconsistent calls, and I’m sure we should’ve got a few more techs,” he said. Udoka was referring to the game’s three officials: crew chief Zach Zarba, referee Natalie Sago and umpire JD Ralls.

Ime Udoka on officiating after Rockets loss in Denver.

“Most poorly officiated game I’ve seen in a long time. Two have no business being out there and the crew chief was acting star struck.” @SpaceCityHN @HoustonRockets pic.twitter.com/8NIJFlWSW6

— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) December 16, 2025

Zarba is in his 23rd NBA season and has refereed 173 playoff games, including 16 games in the NBA Finals. Sago is in her eighth season as an NBA staff official. Ralls is in his second season as an NBA staff official.

Şengün and Udoka each received a technical foul for complaining after Jokić was not called for a personal foul on Şengün’s contested layup attempt underneath Denver’s basket late in the second quarter.

Ralls was the closest official on the play, and he called the technical on Şengün. Zarba called the technical on Udoka. Denver’s Jamal Murray sank both of the subsequent free-throw attempts.

But the non-call almost certainly will be considered less controversial than a sequence near the end of regulation, after Houston took a 117-116 lead on a short-range hook shot by Şengün with 2.3 seconds remaining.

Following a Denver timeout, with Murray preparing to throw an inbounds pass from the sideline in the frontcourt, Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr. ran toward Murray and fell to the ground. Sago whistled Houston’s Amen Thompson for a foul, determining that Thompson had tripped Hardaway.

The Rockets challenged the call, and after reviewing the video, Zarba announced to the crowd inside Ball Arena and to viewers watching the broadcast that Thompson’s left shin had made illegal contact to Hardaway’s right leg, causing Hardaway to fall to the ground.

By rule, because the foul occurred before the release of the inbounds pass, it was considered an away-from-the-play foul, resulting in one shot by anyone in the game at the time.

Murray made the ensuing free throw, tying the game at 117. Jokić missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer and the game went into overtime.

Asked about the foul call against Thompson, Udoka responded that it was “ticky tack. Went along with the game tonight. Not surprised by the crew we had out there.”

The officiating crew whistled Denver for 28 fouls, with backup center Jonas Valančiūnas fouling out with 9:19 remaining in the fourth quarter and Jokić fouling out with 1:23 remaining in overtime. The Rockets made 19 of their 26 foul shots.

The officials called 25 fouls against Houston. The Nuggets made 27 of their 33 free-throw attempts.