Houston Rockets All-Star big man Alperen Sengun shared a confident message heading into Sunday night’s Game 7 matchup against the Golden State Warriors in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Sengun stated that there is “no reason” that Houston should lose Game 7 at home as it attempts to erase a 3-1 series deficit.
Alperen Sengun on Rockets-Warriors Game 7:
“I don’t think they’ve beaten us, this series. We beat ourselves, missing free throws and easy shots. When we’re locked in, we’re locked in. We have all the talent in the world. There’s no reason for us to lose this game.” pic.twitter.com/FXUcQYgF1c
— The Rockets Wire (@TheRocketsWire) May 4, 2025
Only 13 teams in NBA history have ever come back to win a series after being down 3-1, but Houston has the benefit of playing Game 7 at home in this series. The Rockets won Game 5 at home and Game 6 on the road by solid margins to force a winner-take-all matchup on Sunday.
The Warriors are laden with playoff experience on their roster, as they have four-time champions Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as well as veteran Jimmy Butler, who has been to the NBA Finals twice in his career (when he was with the Miami Heat).
Houston, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, has a ton of young talent on its roster led by Sengun, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. The Rockets also have some veterans like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet who have played in big games in their respective careers.
VanVleet beat the Warriors in the NBA Finals in the 2018-19 season when he was a member of the Toronto Raptors.
After splitting the first two games of this series in Houston, Sengun and the Rockets lost Game 3 in Golden State even though Butler was out of the lineup with a pelvic contusion. Golden State then took what appeared to be a commanding lead in Game 4 at home. The series, however, is now tied.
Curry and Green have been a part of a 3-1 collapse before, as they lost the 2016 NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers despite holding a 3-1 series lead. However, Curry has also been an elite performer in Game 7 matchups in his career.
In five Game 7 appearances, Curry has averaged 32.6 points, 7.0 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. He had 50 points in his last Game 7 matchup, which came against the Sacramento Kings in the 2023 NBA Playoffs.
The winner of the Warriors-Rockets series will play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.
