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Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun was ejected from Wednesday night’s blowout loss to the Boston Celtics after he appeared to call a female referee a “b—h” during the game.
Sengun appeared to use the explicit words on Jenna Reneau after she said the ball went off him and out of bounds as he tried to establish position in the paint. He addressed the remarks after the Rockets’ win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.
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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after realizing he was ejected during the second half of an NBA basketball game against Boston, in Houston, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)
He said he apologized to Reneau.
“Sometimes you can’t control yourself, but I should have known better,” he said. “But I fixed it and then I went into the locker room and apologized. I shook (her) hand and said it would never happen again. It just happened in the heat of the moment and she understood and it was good on both ends.”
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Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) was shocked after he was ejected during the second half of an NBA basketball game against Boston, in Houston, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)
It is unclear whether Sengun will face discipline from the league. On Sunday, he was announced as a replacement for the All-Star Game. He and Kevin Durant were the Houston players selected for the game.
He has started 44 games this season for Houston and is averaging 20.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and one block per game. It will be the second time in his career that he becomes an All-Star.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) shoots against Oklahoma City Thunder center/forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Gerald Leong)
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The Rockets are 32-19 this season after the 112-106 win over the Thunder. Houston is in fourth place in the Western Conference, trailing the Denver Nuggets by one game for third place and Oklahoma City by seven games.
