Alperen Sengun didn’t sugarcoat what the Rockets learned in their first-round loss to the Lakers. The message from Houston’s media day was clear: the numbers said one thing, the moment said another.
Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. spoke on September 22 and looked back on the Rockets’ 2026 playoff exit, a series that ended with a 78-98 loss in Game 6 and a 2-4 defeat after Houston had fought back from 0-3. The Lakers closed the door with a 20-point blowout, and for Sengun, the biggest lesson had less to do with talent than with poise.
“Yeah, you know, we played six games. Unfortunately, we had KD for one game.
He got injured, and that was another opportunity for us to grow. Jabari, me, Amen, taking the leadership because we were the ones playing,” Alperen Sengun said.
He pointed directly at the Lakers’ veteran edge.
“Playing against the Lakers, who had a lot of experience: LeBron, Marcus, Rui, you know, all of those players have been there, and they understand it better. We gave them a really hard time.”
Then came the line that framed his whole assessment of the series.
“We beat them in every stat, but I would say experience beat us,” Sengun said boldly. “They knew what to do.
They were calm in the clutch. That’s what we learned.”
Sengun also described the bond inside the group and the frustration of falling short after years of building toward that stage.
“It was really good fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with these brothers. I’ve been with them for four or five years, and for four or five years, we wanted to get to this position.
We were all there, and we failed, unfortunately. But, you know, you fail to win.”
“So we just come back this season stronger and be better than last year, do much more, and everybody knows what it is. We worked a hell of a summer, everybody, and we’re just going to start the season strong,” Sengun concluded.
Smith Jr. took the same loss and turned it into a blunt assessment of where Houston stands heading into 2026-27. For him, the disappointment has created urgency.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Smith Jr. said about whether the loss to the Lakers gave the team a sense of urgency. “We haven’t done anything.
We have nothing to look back on and be proud of. You know what I’m saying?
We’ve got a lot of work to do. We’ve got to prove to the league that we’re here, and that’s just what we want to do.”
He said the response won’t come through talk.
“We ain’t gonna talk about it. We’re just gonna put our heads down and work.
Get on the court, get better. We’re gonna get in the film room, get better, and we’re just gonna see what happens.”
Smith Jr. closed by saying the Rockets believe they’re better than what showed up last season, especially in the playoffs.
“But everybody around the organization knows that we’re better than what we put out last year. In the playoffs, we were better than what everybody thinks. So we’re just gonna put our heads down, work, and then see where the chips fall,” Smith Jr. concluded.
Both players were part of Houston’s core starting group in the Lakers series and were forced into bigger leadership roles with Amen Thompson after Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet were absent. Sengun finished the series at 20.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Smith Jr. posted 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game, shooting 38.8% overall and 37.3% from 3.
The Rockets are now looking to turn that loss into fuel for 2026-27. With a younger core, more experience under pressure, and a healthier roster, Houston will try to prove that last spring’s exit was a lesson rather than a limit. Fred VanVleet even said the team hopes to contend for a championship this year.
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