Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka downplayed his halftime altercation with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, describing it as "just some friendly banter."
The Houston Rockets secured a crucial 106-96 victory at Chase Center on Sunday, defeating the Golden State Warriors in a game marked by an unexpected altercation between Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Warriors star guard Stephen Curry.
The incident occurred at halftime, shortly after the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the second quarter.
As both teams made their way to the locker rooms, Udoka and Curry were seen engaging in a heated exchange. After the game, Udoka downplayed the confrontation.
"He said something. I said something. Just some friendly banter," Udoka said, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
It was a rough night for Curry, who finished with just 3 points in one of the most underwhelming performances of his season. The frustration may have boiled over at halftime, with the Warriors guard visibly upset after being held scoreless in the first half.
However, Curry appeared to take the situation in stride postgame, joking about the altercation and not showing signs of lingering frustration.
With this win, the Rockets continue their impressive run, solidifying their position as the second seed in the Western Conference with a 52-27 record.
Meanwhile, the Warriors find themselves in a tightly contested playoff race. Now part of a four-way tie for the fifth seed with a 46-32 record, they risk slipping into the play-in tournament zone if they don’t close the season strong.
