Rockets' Alperen Sengun breaks silence after playoff exit

The Houston Rockets entered the 2025 NBA postseason as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, the young Rockets team drew a first-round matchup against Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and the No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors. 

The Warriors' experience proved to be too much for the Rockets as Golden State won the series in seven games. So, while it was a disappointing result for Houston, the future is bright for a team full of young stars. 

One of them is big man Alperen Sengun, who was the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. O Monday, just over a week after the Game 7 loss, Sengun took to X with a message following the early exit. 

"Thank you, Houston, for another incredible season. I’m proud of this team—my brothers. We fought every step of the way, grew together, and earned everything we achieved. The journey wasn’t easy, but we stayed locked in. We’re not satisfied—we’re hungry for more. This season taught us a lot, and next year, we’re coming back stronger. Time to lock in, get to work, and elevate. Let’s get it. #RedNation"

Sengun did his part in Game 7 with 21 points and 14 rebounds in the loss. In fact, Sengun had a double-double in six of the seven games against the Warriors, and he was one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double in Game 5. 

On the year, the big man averaged 19.1 points with 10.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists as he became a main piece of the Rockets rotation day in and day out. 

So, while it was a tough ending to a promising regular season, there is plenty of hope for the Rockets going forward, especially with young players such as Sengun, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. 

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