Alperen Şengün isn’t holding back about the Houston Rockets’ 2026 playoff exit. He’s out here claiming the Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in “every stat,” even though they ultimately dropped their first-round series in six games to the experienced Lakers squad. That’s a bold take after getting bounced, but there’s more to it than just the final score.
The Numbers Don’t Lie… Or Do They?
The truth is, that whole series was a brutal, injury-riddled mess. The Rockets were without Luka Dončić, Fred VanVleet, and Steven Adams, who didn’t log a single minute. Kevin Durant only played one game, seriously? And the Lakers weren’t immune either, with Austin Reaves missing the first four games. This led to some truly erratic, ugly stretches of offense, with both teams failing to crack the century mark multiple times. Houston did it four times, L.A. thrice. So, when Şengün talks about growth, you gotta listen. He said, “We played six games. Unfortunately, we only had KD for one game. That was another time for us to grow. Jabari [Smith Jr.], me, Amen [Thompson] taking the leadership because we were the ones playing and having to play against the Lakers, who had a lot of experience.” He’s not wrong about that experience gap. LeBron James, Marcus Smart, Rui Hachimura, those guys have been there. And yeah, the Rockets actually had a lower turnover rate and a higher offensive rebounding rate, giving some weight to Şengün’s “every stat” claim.
The Brutal Truth of Clutch Time
But here’s the cold, hard reality that bit the Rockets: clutch time. Nobody forgets Game 3. Houston had a 101-95 lead with just 34 seconds left, possession in hand. What happened next? Consecutive turnovers, a foul on Marcus Smart’s three-point attempt, and then Luke Kennard nailing the game-tying triple. Lakers forced overtime, won, and took a 3-0 series lead, basically sealing Houston’s fate. NBA.com confirms the Lakers dominated those critical moments, winning two of the three “clutch” games and outscoring the Rockets by eight points in just 15 clutch minutes. Şengün himself admitted it, saying, “We gave them a really hard time. We beat them in every stat. Just the experience beat us, I would say. They knew what to do. They were calm in the clutch times. That’s what we learned.”
So, while the Rockets gave the Lakers a genuinely tough fight and those games were super close, it was that veteran poise, that calm under pressure, that ultimately decided the series. Şengün and the young Rockets got a brutal lesson in those clutch moments, but it’s clear they’re looking at this past playoff run as a painful but necessary step for their core. Can they actually apply those lessons moving forward? That’s the burning question for Houston.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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