The Houston Rockets lost their 28th game of the 2025–26 season after struggling to create a winning momentum lately. On Monday, the Rockets could not overcome the Chicago Bulls and suffered a 132-124 defeat. NBA star Alperen Sengun tried to give the team hope with his strong performance, with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks. However, that was not enough.
Even Kevin Durant led the Rockets with his 40-point outing on 65.2% shooting. Unfortunately for Houston, that wasn’t enough to get past Chicago. This month, the Texas-based team has suffered six losses through the 12 games they played.
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Ime Udoka, the head coach, was unhappy with the team’s performance and scolded the players in front of the media after the game.
Ime Udoka Put the Rockets on Blast
Houston Rockets head coach Ime UdokaTommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
(Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images)
Udoka did not hold back as he criticized the players’ lack of preparation and accused them of disrespecting the game.
“Poor start, disrespected the game, not prepared from the get-go. Just non-aggressive following them around, watching them shoot,” Udoka said. “They have nothing to lose, they’re gonna fire away, and they gave up 41 points in that first quarter. It’s disappointing, it’s one quarter that killed us and [we] weren’t prepared to play at all.”
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Udoka also didn’t like how the game was officiated. During the final seconds, Durant was called for an offensive foul, which could’ve given the Rockets a chance to cut the lead. With 9.1 seconds left on the game clock, the Bulls were up with a 129-124 lead. After KD was called for the foul, the head coach complained to the referees.
This resulted in Udoka getting whistled for his second technical foul and being ejected from the game. The head coach also commented on how the game was officiated. According to him, he thought most of the calls were soft.
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“Flagrant was soft as hell it’s nothing and then the techs were soft too. I’m not about to complain about a soft crew. It is what it is,” Udoka said.
Earlier in the first quarter, Amen Thompson was called for a flagrant 1 foul after he got physical with Collin Sexton. Thompson accidentally swiped at Sexton’s face, which resulted in the call. Udoka thought it shouldn’t have been called for a foul and complained to the officials. Shortly after, he received his first technical foul.
The NBA could issue a fine on Udoka for his comments about the officiating. In December 2025, the former player was fined for $25,000 for publicly criticizing the referees. It happened after the Rockets’ 128-125 overtime loss to the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 15.
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Related: Ime Udoka Reveals Injury Update on Alperen Sengun Ahead of Rockets-Lakers
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.