Rockets Coach Ime Udoka & Alperen Sengun Ejected As Frustration Boils Over: ‘Blatant Missed Calls Right In Front Of You!’

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka was ejected on Tuesday in the fourth quarter of a loss to the Kings.

Down 105-117 with under two minutes remaining, Udoka was assessed a technical foul for protesting what he felt was a string of missed calls against the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun and Domantas Sabonis. After getting in referee John Goble‘s face, he was assessed another technical and ejected.

The NBA announced fines Thursday for Udoka, Sengun, and Tari Eason for their comments and behavior both on the court and after the game.

The league said in a statement, “Udoka has been fined $50,000 for confronting and directing profane language toward a game official, failing to leave the court in a timely manner after being ejected and public criticism of the officiating during his postgame press conference.”

Sengun, who was ejected for complaining to officials and for his role in the brief skirmish following the play, was also fined $15,000 for “directing inappropriate language in the direction of a fan in the spectator stands after the game had concluded.”

Although forward Tari Eason wasn’t ejected, he was fined $35,000 for an incident that took place after the game. As he left the court, a fan reportedly heckled him, provoking him to throw his towel, “yelled obscenities,” and attempt to enter the stands. He was eventually restrained by two security guards near the fan section and returned to the locker room.

“Missed calls, blatant missed calls right in front of you,” Udoka told reporters postgame.

“You’re calling ticky-tack moving screens, little s— like that, but you don’t want to call the obvious ones right in front of you. That was it. Alpie got fouled a few times on that drive and on the layup and they don’t want to call it. So I told him: ‘Get some f—ing glasses and open your eyes.'”

The Rockets moved to 15-7 on the season, sitting in the Western Conference second seed, and will head to the NBA Cup quarterfinals on December 11 against the Warriors.