The Houston Rockets were one of the biggest revelations of the 2024-25 regular season. They finished No. 2 in the Western Conference only to lose in seven games to an experienced Golden State Warriors team in the first round of the playoffs.
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Alperen Sengun, however, believes that it was the Rockets who should have gone through. The 23-year-old center questioned the calls made by the referees that favored Stephen Curry and company.
Robert Horry has now come out and asked the young [pun intended] man to cool it down. An additional emphasis on ‘young’, because that is exactly what the Rockets are. Horry explained on the Big Shot Bob podcast that the side’s loss is a sign that the players lacked experience.
Curry and the Warriors playing basketball is good for the NBA’s TV ratings. More people want to watch the Chef shoot three-balls than Sengun in the paint. Horry feels the Rockets should have expected this and approached the series differently if they wanted to win.
“We talk about it all the time, we talk about the fouls and the discrepancy in fouls, it is what it is. If you go out with a gameplan and kick their a**, you ain’t gotta worry about the fouls,” said Horry. “If you come out and be aggressive and don’t let someone put you on your heels, it’s a different story.”
This isn’t to say that the Rockets didn’t put up a good fight. They were 3-1 down at one point, but fought their way back to get to a Game 7. But it was that decisive game in which the team faltered, choking in crucial moments. Horry added that Sengun was salty because of that.
The former Los Angeles Laker also believes Sengun has commented so openly about it only because he will now have Kevin Durant to back him up.
“Plus, I think if I’m Sengun, I’m gonna say this because next year, I got my big brother KD coming in.. Someone talks some s**t, I don’t care…,” Horry added with a laugh.
And yes, Durant being on the Rockets is certainly a confidence boost big enough to spark another rivalry with the Warriors heading into the season. However, Durant, since leaving the Warriors, has tried to get one up on his old team with two franchises — the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns. Both times, he failed.
So, should Sengun be wary of the fact that Curry and Co. may get the final laugh once again? Only time will reveal that. One thing’s certain, however. Irking up the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ is not a good idea.
