The Rockets (1-3) are headed into Game 5 against the Lakers (3-1) as the clear underdogs to win this series, potentially. They will have to pull off a historic performance the league has never seen before to come back from a 0-3 deficit in the series before they won Game 4.
Yet, the young Rockets team has not lost hope. Alperen Sengun spoke to the media after practice for Game 5 and detailed Houston’s approach and claimed that the youth of this time could be an instrumental advantage for them to bounce back in this series.
“I mean, the mood is good, we got one, but you know, we’re not happy with it. And going back to LA for a fight again, you know, no matter what is the, you know, win or lose, but we’re going to win, and we’re going to get the fight in there and come back home after that hopefully.”
“I think we have been confident, just missing the shots, but you know, the last game we played with the pace, we made them turn over a lot. Everybody did their job great, and I think everybody’s hungry still, and we’re going over there to get another one and come back home and make them a little nervous,” said Sengun in his initial remarks.
When asked about the physicality he expects inside the paint, Sengun also pointed out the key thing that might work in the Rockets’ favor over the Lakers.
“Well, I’m ready. You know, I’m ready. I’m ready for those. I know they’re going to hit. Well, we’re hitting them too. So, you know, we’re younger. We heal. We heal faster than them, probably. So, you know, and we’re just going to hit each other, and let’s end of the day see what’s going on,” said Sengun in a response that also went viral on social media.
The Lakers could not stop Alperen Sengun and the Rockets’ domination in the paint in Game 4, especially after Deandre Ayton was ejected and Houston blew the game apart. Sengun feels that the Rockets will have the advantage if the Lakers throw bodies at him to play with physicality inside the paint.
The Turkish All-Star is so far averaging 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field, which includes a hard-fought performance in Game 3, where he dropped 33 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists before the Lakers ruined their comeback.
Clearly, the Rockets know where they need to target the Lakers; now it all comes down to the execution of their game plan by the team. Even Jabari Smith. Jr admitted that he feels the Rockets are a better team and would’ve shown that if they had a better start to the series.
One of the biggest questions going into Game 5 is the availability of Kevin Durant, who has been listed as questionable with a left ankle sprain and a bone bruise.
Durant did not participate in practice but was at the facility and on the treadmill while the team was grinding it out on the court. Alperen Sengun also detailed Durant’s message to the team in the media scrum.
“He’s been there for us. It’s important. Talking to us on the bench, giving us some motivation. Good seeing him out there,” said Sengun.
The Rockets are now headed to Los Angeles for Game 5 on the road, where they have been 0-2 so far in this series. And I know that while regular season games can be immaterial at this point in the season, the Rockets’ only win over the Lakers in their three-game series of the regular season came at the Crypto.com Arena in December on Christmas.
Since the Rockets have played and won a high-pressure game at the Crypto.com Arena earlier this season, who is to say they cannot repeat such a performance to force a Game 6?
I would not recommend putting money on it, but my heart still says this young team can pull off a miracle in Game 5, and Sengun’s confidence is warranted, as you cannot win elimination games in the playoffs with your heads hung in defeat.
