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[Saba Sports News] Ime Udoka believes his sideline exchange with Steph Curry on Sunday night played out exactly how he wanted.
The Houston Rockets head coach was seen trading words with the Golden State Warriors star just before halftime of their matchup at Chase Center. Curry had been visibly frustrated with the officiating and was voicing his complaints to the referees—prompting Udoka to step in and engage him. The viral moment quickly made the rounds online.
After Houston’s 106-96 win, Udoka downplayed the interaction, brushing it off as “friendly banter.” But in a follow-up conversation with *The Athletic* on Monday, he got a little more honest—and fired a subtle shot at Curry.
“When people start complaining about foul calls or crying about physicality, you’ve done your job,” Udoka said. “That’s the first step in winning the battle. So I told my team, ‘When this team starts crying about it, up the intensity, up the aggressiveness, and make the refs adjust to you.’”
Curry had a rare off night, finishing with just three points on 1-of-10 shooting, including a scoreless second half. The Rockets clearly made it their mission to disrupt him, and it worked—on the court and in his head. Fans on social media were quick to pile on after the uncharacteristic performance.
The budding rivalry between the Rockets and Warriors is heating up, with individual matchups and personal tensions simmering on both sides. And Udoka, who’s had run-ins with other NBA stars before, isn’t shy about jumping into the fray.