The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets faced off in an intense seven-game playoff series last season.
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While Houston had been at the top of the Western Conference for much of the season, the young group could not fend off an experienced Golden State squad. A decisive Game 7 saw the Warriors take down the second-seed Rockets via a 103-89 victory.
Rockets big Alperen Şengün recently spoke candidly about the Warriors, going as far as to say Golden State constantly complained about fouls.
"They're a very experienced team, and they fouled a lot," Şengün said in a recent appearance on the Socrates Dergi podcast. "In the playoffs, they don't call it. But they were the ones crying all series about fouls not being called."
There is some truth to Şengün's comments as evidenced by the Warriors' foul tally in Game 6, where the team recorded a total of 30 fouls. Meanwhile, the Rockets had 18 fouls that game.
Overall, the Warriors were called for 150 fouls and the Rockets for 124. Nevertheless, Buddy Hield's performance in Game 7 sent the Warriors to the semifinals and left the Rockets watching the remainder of the playoffs at home.
Warriors forward Draymond Green didn't mince words when he replied to Şengün's remarks.
"That's a tough thing to say after you lose...You have to win stuff like that," Green wrote.
The Rockets impressed many throughout the regular season, winning 53 games in the competitive Western Conference. It was the first time Houston had reached the playoffs since 2020.
Now, the Rockets will begin the 2025-26 season with one of the biggest faces of the NBA in Kevin Durant. The Phoenix Suns traded Durant on the final day of the season, just hours before Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The future Hall of Famer only fortifies the talented roster, and gives Houston an experienced star who has the championship hardware to prove it. Additionally, the Rockets also added 3-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela to support their young core.
Houston is certainly considered a contender heading into the 2025-26 campaign.
The Warriors will face the Rockets on Nov. 26 for their first regular season matchup of the season. Tensions will certainly be high between both teams, especially now that the Rockets have added Durant to their squad.
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