Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. Reveal Bold Takeaways From Rockets' Loss To Lakers In 2026 Playoffs
Credits: Imagn Images
Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. hosted press conferences on the Rockets’ media day (September 22), where they discussed key takeaways from their first-round exit to the Lakers in the 2026 playoffs.
The Lakers closed out the series with a 20-point blowout win as the Rockets fought back from 0-3 but eventually lost 2-4 following the 78-98 loss in Game 6.
While discussing the team’s growth during the Lakers series, the Turkish All-Star claimed the Rockets beat the Lakers in analytics but lost on experience.
“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.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.
Subsequently, Jabari Smith Jr. also shared his takeaways from two consecutive first-round exits in the last two seasons. He suggested that the way the Lakers series ended has given the team a chip on their shoulder coming into the 2026-27 season.
“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.”
“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.”
“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 Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. were in the Rockets’ core starting lineup in the Lakers series and had to step up as leaders with Amen Thompson, since Kevin Durant and Fred VanVleet were absent.
Sengun ended the series averaging 20.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 46.5% from the field. Jabari Smith Jr. averaged 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists while shooting 38.8% from the field and 37.3% from beyond the arc.
The Rockets are determined to use their first-round exit as inspiration going into the 2026–27 season. Houston’s young core will try to build on its experience, improve under pressure, and show it can advance as a team after Sengun and Smith Jr. acknowledged the lessons learned against the Lakers.
Fred VanVleet even said the team hopes to contend for a championship this year. It will certainly be fascinating to see if the Rockets can use their lessons from the loss to the Lakers to become championship contenders this season with a much healthier roster.