Rockets Star Alperen Sengun Calls Out Warriors After Heated Playoff Series

Alperen Sengun recently appeared on Socrates Dergi, a Turkish publication, where they asked him about his basketball journey, the playoffs, and much more. He admitted that the Warriors were a tough dra w, but that the Warriors got away with too much in that series.

"In the playoffs, I felt Golden State was the team that could give us the most trouble, and that’s who we faced. At least that's what I think. But we played anyways. And every game feels like a story. There was even one game where Steve Kerr got really mad. We always fight with them."

It's interesting that they thought the Warriors would give them the most trouble, considering Houston's massive advantage down low. The Warriors didn't have much post presence, and it ended up going Golden State's way, but the Rockets maybe should've had more confidence.

"They're a super-experienced team," Sengun continued. "They also fouled a lot, and fouls just don’t get called much in the playoffs. You get what I'm saying?... Yeah, they were whining the whole series, 'That’s a foul!' They’d complain, and then we couldn’t say anything, because that's not what we do."

Sengun revealed that the head coach, Ime Udoka, doesn't want the players complaining to the officials and that he can handle it. But they are a young team, so they're not going to get the benefit of the doubt the way established stars like Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler would.

Revisiting Houston-Golden State

The Warriors went up 3-1 early in the series, but the Rockets scratched and clawed their way back to force a seventh game. Jalen Green really struggled in this series, averaging just 13.3 PPG, shooting 37.2% from the floor. That performance was why they decided to make the swing for Kevin Durant, and sent Green to Phoenix as part of that trade.

Houston dominated on the glass, but the Warriors made 34 more three-pointers in that series. The teams actually tied in total points for the series at 728, but the Warriors' experience and perimeter shooting mattered more in the end.