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Alperen Sengun and the Houston Rockets have concluded their 2025 NBA Playoff run, falling to the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals with a score of 103-89 on Sunday at the Toyota Center. This victory allowed the Warriors, led by coach Steve Kerr, to advance to the next stage of the playoffs.
Reflecting on his playoff experience while facing Draymond Green in a best-of-seven series, Sengun, the 22-year-old Turkish center, stated, “I gained a lot of knowledge. This was my first playoff experience. It taught me about maintaining defensive intensity and being versatile. The goal was to contribute to my team’s success.”
He further remarked during the postgame press conference, “Draymond is undoubtedly one of the greatest defenders in history. Competing against him was a valuable experience.” Sengun acknowledged, “There’s much I need to refine, especially those straightforward shots. I plan to dedicate significant time this offseason to improve in those areas and return even stronger next season, ideally making those shots during the playoffs.”
In the final game of the 2024-25 season, Sengun posted an impressive double-double with 21 points, 14 rebounds, alongside five assists, one block, and one steal, playing close to 40 minutes.
“My overall playoff experience taught me the essence of basketball,” he expressed. “We learned how to be cohesive as a unit while facing a single team repeatedly over seven games. It was definitely a challenging series for us, but we had to stay connected and communicate daily.”
Sengun also shared his thoughts on his season, saying, “I feel my defensive skills have progressed, but I need to put in more work on my offensive game. I performed better in that area last year.” He added, “This summer will be crucial for me. I will concentrate on enhancing my physical fitness and shooting touch; I have a lot to tackle ahead.”
As the Warriors advance to the Western Conference Semifinals, Dutch player Quinten Post saw limited action, playing just three minutes in Game 7. The seventh-seeded Warriors are set to face the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 on Tuesday at Target Center.
In the opening game of the NBA Sunday, the Indiana Pacers triumphed over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a score of 121-112 at Rocket Arena, gaining a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
In other playoff series results, the Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Miami Heat 4-0 (121-100, 121-112, 124-87, 138-83), the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 4-1 (103-86, 109-100, 93-95, 107-98, 120-89), the New York Knicks took down the Detroit Pistons 4-2 (123-112, 94-100, 118-116, 94-93, 103-106, 116-113), and the Indiana Pacers bested the Milwaukee Bucks 4-1 (117-98, 123-115, 101-117, 129-103, 119-118).
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies 4-0 (131-80, 118-99, 114-108, 117-115), while the Houston Rockets fell to the Golden State Warriors in a close 3-4 series (85-95, 109-94, 93-104, 106-109, 131-116, 115-107, 89-103). The Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves 1-4 (95-117, 94-85, 104-116, 113-116, 96-103), and the Denver Nuggets fought hard to edge out the Los Angeles Clippers 4-3 (112-110, 102-105, 83-117, 101-99, 131-115, 105-111, 120-101).
Currently, the Cleveland Cavaliers are down 0-1 to the Indiana Pacers, while the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks have yet to meet. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets are set to begin their series, alongside the forthcoming matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Golden State Warriors.
Stay tuned for the latest updates.
