Refs May Have Robbed Rockets in Loss vs. Bucks

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The Houston Rockets fell 101-100 to the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night at the Fiserv Forum in a game where every possession mattered, especially down the stretch.
On Houston's penultimate possession, Rockets center Alperen Sengun had his shot blocked by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who came down with the rebound.
However, in a photo captured by a fan on social media, it appears Antetokounmpo landed out of bounds when fighting for the loose ball.
Giannis was clearly out of bounds... #Rockets get screwed by the #NBA again on a blatantly missed out of bounds call. Do better, @OfficialNBARefs. pic.twitter.com/O9KbAOnDCA
— DP (@DPThePremier11) November 19, 2024
The Bucks went on to score the game-winning basket on the ensuing possession, costing the Rockets the game.
Sure, the Rockets could have defended better on Damian Lillard in his drive to the basket and Sengun could have caught Fred VanVleet's inbounds pass a little better on the team's final possession, but had Houston been given the ball back on Antetokounmpo's step out of bounds, the game and result could have been drastically different.
The Rockets would have had the ball with 20 seconds to go and they would likely have been fouled by the Bucks to try to win the game with free throws.
The NBA will release its two-minute report from the game, likely confirming the missed call, but it doesn't change the outcome of the matchup.
The Rockets will be back on the floor tomorrow against the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. CT inside Toyota Center.
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Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.