The Denver Nuggets and the Houston Rockets delivered one of the season’s most physically demanding games, especially since it spilled into overtime and tested both teams’ depth, discipline, and execution. The Nuggets eventually escaped with a 128-125 win, but what followed was just as loud as the final buzzer.

“I think it’s the most poorly officiated game I’ve seen in a long time,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka told the media in his postgame conference. “Two [of the refs] have no business being out there, and the crew chief [Zach Zarba] is acting star-struck. You’re seeing all kinds of inconsistent calls.”

The implication on his part is clear. Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets’ MVP center, was protected by the whistle. Unfortunately for the coach, it’s clear that Jokic doesn’t get calls his way either. The Serbian regularly has his arms covered in scratches from being played hard on defense,

The accusation came on a night when the officiating frustration was widespread, but not limited to just the visiting team. Both teams argued calls throughout the game, and the whistle remained tight throughout regulation and overtime.

Denver was already depleted by injuries and foul trouble, and Houston played with relentless physicality, with missed calls on both ends, borderline decisions and long reviews. Nuggets guard Jamal Murray even admitted that the officials “missed some calls on our end, and they missed some calls on their end.

The most controversial ruling was late in regulation when Denver trailed by one with 2.3 seconds left. After Tim Hardaway Jr. seemed to trip right before an inbound, the replay determined that his shin made contact with Rockets guard Amen Thompson, and Denver was given a free throw and possession, which let them force overtime to eventually take the game. On the sideline, Udoka was visibly annoyed with the call, but failing his coach’s challenge.

Nikola Jokic Fouled Out And the Denver Nuggets Still Had to Survive Without Him

Both Nikola Jokic and Houston center Alperen Sengun entered overtime with five fouls, and despite Jokic fouling out early, the Nuggets still found a way. After Jokic fouled out, the team ran an extreme small-ball lineup with Murray, Hardaway, Bruce Brown, Cam Johnson, and Spencer Jones, all under 6’7″ for the final minute and a half.

Despite the setback, the team held on, opting not to intentionally foul up three against the Rockets’ much superior offensive rebounding, especially without a true big man. When Sengun slipped free on the final possession, the Nuggets denied Kevin Durant the ball, leaving their opponents with a rushed, off-balance three that missed.

“It’s a physical game,” Murray said afterwards, cutting the referees some slack. “It’s tough for the refs to call both sides dead even. I don’t really think that was an issue tonight.” Murray dismissed the notion that officiating determined the outcome of the game.

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