By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Alperen Sengun fueled the Houston Rockets with 14 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, leading a gritty effort to overcome Austin Reaves’ return to the Los Angeles Lakers and send the best-of-seven series back to Houston for Game 6 this Friday night. Despite committing five turnovers, the 23-year-old Turkish center demonstrated a growing maturity in his playmaking as his side attempted a historic comeback.
“We’re learning, watching film, watching their defense, kind of understanding what they do now. There’s no reason for me to kind of rush the shot or attack the double-team. I’m just trying to pick apart and find my teammates, and find open shots, and that was my job today,” Sengun noted in his postgame press conference after Wednesday’s Game 5, reflecting on the individual and collective adjustments made throughout the opening round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google.
The Rockets want to achieve what no team in league history has done, recovering from a 0-3 deficit to win a postseason series. By forcing a Game 6, they became only the 16th team to reach this stage after trailing 0-3. Historically, the odds remain steep, as only four of the 159 teams to start in such a hole have ever managed to force a Game 7.
“We learned last year. We came back this season,” the Giresun native stressed, referencing his second postseason campaign with the franchise. “We put ourselves in a bad position, but we can still make history and come back one game at a time. Play at home, come back here. Just do the same thing that we’re doing.”
This push for history follows an exit in the first round as the second seed of the Western Conference, after seven games opposite the Golden State Warriors in the 2025 Playoffs. Houston’s current two-game winning streak is particularly notable as it has come without top scorer Kevin Durant, who has been sidelined for four of the series’ five games due to injuries.
With Game 6 in Toyota Center, a third straight Rockets win would force a deciding Game 7 at crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Detroit Pistons – Orlando Magic 2-3 (101-112, 98-83, 105-113, 88-94, 116-109)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors 3-2 (126-113, 115-105, 104-126, 89-93, 125-120)
3. New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 3-2 (113-102, 106-107, 108-109, 114-98, 126-97)
4. Boston Celtics – Philadelphia 76ers 3-2 (123-91, 97-111, 108-100, 128-96, 97-113)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Winners 1-2
6. Winners 3-4
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
Western Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
1. Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 4-0 (119-84, 120-107, 121-109, 131-122)
2. Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 3-2 (107-98, 101-94, 112-108, 96-115, 93-99)
3. Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves 2-3 (126-115, 114-119, 96-113, 96-112, 125-113)
4. San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 (111-98, 103-106, 120-108, 114-93, 114-95)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder – Winner 2
6. San Antonio Spurs – Winner 3
Finals (best-of-seven)
Winners of Semifinals
NBA Finals 2026 (best-of-seven)
Eastern Conference and Western Conference champions