The Houston Rockets were widely expected to make plenty of noise in last year’s playoffs, especially after securing the second seed in the highly competitive Western Conference. However, their run came to an abrupt end when the experienced Golden State Warriors eliminated them in the first round.
Months later, Alperen Sengun still seems unable to shake off that heartbreaking loss, recently taking aim at the Dubs by accusing them of getting away with relentless fouls that went uncalled. For Robert Horry, these remarks only highlight the immaturity of a young team, essentially placing a target on their back.
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Sengun fired shots at the Warriors
The Dubs entered the series without a traditional big man in their starting lineup, forcing Draymond Green (who is 6’6″) to log significant minutes at center. As a result, Golden State relied heavily on physicality to wear down Houston’s young roster. Sengun believes that his strategy was unfairly overlooked, claiming that the Rockets’ repeated appeals to the officials went unanswered.
Interestingly, the numbers paint a more nuanced picture. Over the seven-game series, the Warriors were called for 150 fouls, compared to the Rockets’ 124. Still, according to Sengun, the sheer fact that Ime Udoka disapproved of his players complaining about such a playing style only made the task more challenging.
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Horry doesn’t appreciate Sengun’s comments
While Robert acknowledged Alperen’s efforts against Green & Co., averaging a team-high 20.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, he also stressed that the Turkish center needs to understand how playoff basketball works if they want to make amends for the future. In the seven-time NBA champ’s eyes, playoff basketball requires continuous adjustment, which eventually gives no extra edge to a team like the Warriors.
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“The thing about it is, when you own a team throughout the regular season and all of a sudden you get to the playoffs and things change, that’s a sign of a young team. Young teams don’t understand, ‘Yo man, the playoffs aren’t the regular season. Calls you’re gonna get, you aren’t gonna get (in the playoffs).’.. It is what it is,” Horry said on the “Big Shot Bob” podcast. “If you go out there with a game plan and kick their a—, you ain’t got to worry about the fouls. If you come out and be aggressive and don’t let someone put you on your heels and put them on their heels, it’s a different story.”
The Rockets’ roster looks very different heading into the 2025-26 campaign. With Kevin Durant, Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith joining the fold, Sengun will have added significant talent and depth. However, with these additions also comes the expectation that teams will be even more physical with them come playoff time.
Thus, for Sengun, the upcoming 2025-26 season will be a test of maturity, one where he must learn how to embrace the intensity of postseason basketball as well as stand taller without resorting to complaints. After all, physicality has always been at the heart of playoff success.
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Just look at how well the OKC Thunder embraced physicality during the 2025 playoffs and made it to the finish line. If the Rockets want to compete, they should look at the Thunder’s blueprint and try to emulate some of that grit in their system and culture.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.