NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: ROCKETS vs WARRIORS

April 28, 2025

Alperen Sengun

Game 4 - Postgame Media Conference

Golden State Warriors 109, Houston Rockets 106

Q. Out of all the different lineups, you played with tonight and the different matchups that you had defensively, which do you feel were the best for you and which were the worst?

ALPEREN SENGUN: I mean, you know, I didn't feel worse about any lineup. So that's a coach's decision. So just whoever was in the floor, they were playing with heart. Nobody come into the game to play bad. So they all came to the court. They played with heart. So I'm just proud of them and I think that's it.

Q. I meant more the defensive matchups, like who you had guarding you.

ALPEREN SENGUN: You're talking about the other team or you're talking about our team?

Q. About who was guarding you specifically on the Warriors. Which of those matchups did you feel like did you the best against?

ALPEREN SENGUN: I don't know, they were just going off whole game. Draymond got fouled up. He got five fouls, so he was out of game.

So you know, he's a good defender. So when he was out, I was just trying to be aggressive. Just going to the him.

Q. You finished with 31. What allowed you to get going later in the game?

ALPEREN SENGUN: You know, they start the second half really good. So then, you know, I start bad, too. Ime took me off and I was just ready to go back in. I still miss a lot of shot but I was just trying to make those. Of course I missed those. But you know, this happens.

Q. Such a close game --

ALPEREN SENGUN: You know, I would be more happy if we would have win, and 30, whatever, 40, 20, doesn't matter when you lose, whatever you do, you've just got to win when you do that. That's important. Of course I'm happy with it. But just a lot more to improve for my myself.

Hopefully I'll be in this league for a long time, and just keep I will prove every year and just keep getting better and better.

I play for my people out there. I play for my family out here. Make them proud. Make them watch me at night, wake up, see in the morning, it's good for mentality to see it. There's a lot of stuff going on in Turkey, and just like I can just do my best job over here and just proud of my people out there. Just make them smile when they wake up in the morning.

Q. What was going on in the first half when there were a couple scrums, and what do you guys have to do going back to Houston for the next game, what kind of mindset?

ALPEREN SENGUN: It's a physical game. I think that happen every game right now. We get into each other. But we just got to be disciplined, and they always do that. So we've just got to be disciplined. Don't let them get in our mind and just go back home and play more physical. The series is not over yet, so we are just going to go and then come back over here.

Q. The last play, did you get the shot that you wanted or is there something else that you felt like you could have gotten?

ALPEREN SENGUN: You know, I couldn't go to him but Looney was down there when I saw him. So I just took my shot. That's my shot. I'm making those through the years now. Of course, it hurts when you miss the game shot.

But there's a lot to learn. I'm still young. I'm going to make those one day, and get better and better.

Q. On the final play, was there supposed to be a screen or switch or anything like that or was intended to just keep going?

ALPEREN SENGUN: No. You know, Fred was going to slip out. So he make a lot of threes, and they were switching end of the game, too. It didn't happen. I just went one-on-one, miss, and tried to get offensive rebound but we couldn't. We just move on.