David Adelman ‘was baffled’ by the anti-rocket ejection

The Denver Nuggets‘ Saturday night’s 115-101 loss to the Houston Rockets at Ball Arena escalated off the scoreboard, reaching a boiling point with the head coach David Adelmanhis first career strikeout.

The incident happened with 8:40 left in the fourth quarter, with the Nuggets trailing by as many as 17 points. Nikola Jokić absorbed the contact in a missed attempt near the edge, but no foul was called. Adelman left the sideline to confront the officials, yelling at the referee and picking up his second technical foul of the night. Already in the first quarter, he received a technical foul after two quick offensive errors on Jokić. Assistant coach Jared Dudley took over coaching duties for the rest of the game as security escorted Adelman off the floor, prompting a standing ovation from the Denver crowd and Jamal Murray.

After the game, Adelman explained that his reaction was result of confusion and not a deliberate act.

“I was confused, so I was just looking for answers, and I went out there to find them, and it turns out I had to go,” Adelman said. “Sometimes confusion can lead to destructive things, can’t it? It seemed like (the referee) just kept going on and on.”

David Adelman on his eviction:

“I was confused and so I was just looking for answers and I went out there to find them and it turns out I had to go. Sometimes confusion can lead to destructive things, can’t it? It seemed like (the judge) just kept going further and further away.” https://t.co/uCTb9KORJV pic.twitter.com/rsfKKS1RLHN

— Oh no, it’s not (@ohnohedidnt24) December 21, 2025

His ejection came amid a night in which the Nuggets’ scoring remained erratic. Denver shot 40% from the field and just 28% from three-point range, compared to Houston shooting 51% overall and 54% from beyond the arc. The Nuggets were mostly better at the three-point line, as the Rockets made 19 threes, including 10 in the first half alone.

Jokić finished the game with 25 points on 20 shots, seven rebounds and five assists, but due to foul trouble, he spent longer on the bench, picking up his fourth foul at the beginning of the third quarter and the fifth in the fourth. Murray scored 16 points on 4-of-13 shooting with seven assists as Denver scored just 16 points in the second quarter and 21 in the third.

Houston took control late in the third quarter behind rookie guard Reed Shepard, who scored 28 points off the bench and finished the period with an 11-0 run that extended the Rockets’ lead to 82-66 entering the fourth. Shepard went 6 of 9 from three-point range and also had six assists, three steals and two blocks. Kevin Durant led all scorers with 31 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including five three-pointers, while adding six rebounds and five assists, and Jabari Smith Jr. scored 22 points.

The loss dropped the Nuggets to 20-7, ending their six-game winning streak. They entered Saturday’s contest having defeated Houston earlier in the week and leading the season series 2-0. Denver will next host the Utah Jazz on Monday.