Headline: Alperen Sengun Shines with 26 Points in Playoff Debut Despite Rockets Game 1 Loss: We Still Have Time to Improve

In a group of Houston Rockets players making their NBA Playoff debuts, Alperen Sengun stood out on Sunday with a notable 26 points.

The 22-year-old Turkish center connected on 11 of 18 attempts from the field, showcasing his athleticism with a highlight dunk over Draymond Green, even as his team was defeated by the Golden State Warriors, 95-85, at the Toyota Center. He also grabbed nine rebounds, made three steals, and provided one assist.

“It was a hard-fought, physical matchup. Such things happen,” he reflected on the Rockets’ performance, which saw them shoot below 40% from the floor in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. “We’re not dwelling on missed shots. I believe we took good shots. There’s still ample time to convert those.”

Alperen Sengun delivers a highlight dunk over Draymond Green!! pic.twitter.com/kz4N2melOF

— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) April 21, 2025

Sengun’s contribution of eight points in the first quarter helped give Coach Ime Udoka’s squad an early lead, but the Warriors rallied and established a 23-point advantage. They ultimately secured a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the NBA Playoffs presented by Google after thwarting a late comeback effort.

“I just wanted to come out on top. I was focused on being aggressive,” Sengun described his strong start during a post-game press conference following the playoff edition of NBA Sundays.

“Honestly, I think we felt a bit of nerves,” he remarked, shifting the focus to their general mindset, “Once the game starts, you put that aside and just play hard.”

On the other side, Quinten Post from the Warriors recorded one assist and one rebound off the bench but struggled with his shooting, missing all three attempts.

In Rocket Arena, the Cleveland Cavaliers triumphed over the Miami Heat, winning 121-100 and taking a 1-0 lead in their series. For the European players on the Heat, Serbian Nikola Jovic and Swedish Pelle Larsson played a combined total of just 83 seconds in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland Cavaliers – Miami Heat: 1-0 (121-100)
Boston Celtics – Orlando Magic: 1-0 (103-86)
New York Knicks – Detroit Pistons: 1-0 (123-112)
Indiana Pacers – Milwaukee Bucks: 1-0 (117-98)

Oklahoma City Thunder – Memphis Grizzlies: 1-0 (131-80)
Houston Rockets – Golden State Warriors: 0-1 (85-95)
Los Angeles Lakers – Minnesota Timberwolves: 0-1 (95-117)
Denver Nuggets – Los Angeles Clippers: 1-0 (112-110)

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