Things got spicy between Steph Curry and Ime Udoka during Sunday’s game between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.
The Rockets led the Warriors 51-50 to end a heated first half inside Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif. Houston guard Fred VanVleet missed two free throws to close out the half, which had Golden State veteran Draymond Green fired up.
As the two teams left the court, Curry was seen exchanging words with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka.
Ime Udoka has words for Steph Curry 🤨 pic.twitter.com/N97nmBi32g
— HOOPS HIGHLIGHTS 🎥 (@_HoopsNation) April 7, 2025
Curry may have been frustrated given the smothering defense the Rockets had played on him to that point. The Warriors superstar had just three points on 1/3 shooting with two turnovers over the first two quarters of action. Things didn’t get any better in the second half. Steph failed to score a single point the rest of the way, finishing 1/10 from the field in 33 minutes of action.
With Curry held completely in check, Udoka’s Rockets beat the Warriors 106-96 on the latter’s home floor.
“He said something. I said something. Just some friendly banter,” Udoka later said of his exchange with Curry.
Udoka has never been one to back down from a verbal exchange, no matter who’s on the other end. The Rockets coach got ejected last season after he got into a spat with LeBron James.
Sunday’s result has major implications for the Western Conference standings. The Warriors’ loss dropped their record to 46-32, which puts them in a four-way tie with the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies for the fifth-best record in the West.
The Warriors could conceivably fall into the play-in tournament. With the Rockets sitting at 2nd in the West, a Houston-Golden State first-round series remains at play.
