Alperen Sengun’s pregame move that gave Rockets a boost in Game 4

Amen Thompson was showered with applause on Sunday after leading the Houston Rockets past the Los Angeles Lakers, 115-96, in Game 4 of their first-round series in the playoffs at Toyota Center.

Thompson was impressive on both ends of the floor, displaying his energy, relentlessness, and athleticism to stay alive in the best-of-seven matchup.

He finished with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-16 field goals, four rebounds, seven assists, and one steal. He also made life difficult for LeBron James, who only had two field goals for 10 points. He averaged 25.3 points in the first three games.

Thompson played inspired basketball. In the postgame interview, he revealed that Alperen Sengun had something to do with it.

“We were all ready. Alpi gave us a motivational speech this morning, and we took that and ran with it,” said Thompson.

“We gotta go do that (again) next game in LA.”

The Rockets, who played anew without Kevin Durant due to an ankle injury, outscored the Lakers in the third quarter, 34-18, to wrest control of the game. The 23-year-old Thompson also gave credit to their aggressiveness and defense.

“You saw Tari (Eason), you saw JO (Josh Okogie), you saw Reed (Sheppard) diving for the ball, they were great. Just forcing turnovers and capitalizing on them,” added the dynamic wingman.

"[Alperen Sengun] gave us a motivational speech this morning, and we took that and ran with it."

Amen Thompson following the Rockets' win in Game 4

(via @NBAonNBC)pic.twitter.com/ODDD0Fi6ER

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 27, 2026

The Rockets forced the Lakers to 24 turnovers, converting them to 30 points.

Sengun, who was visibly dejected after their flame-out in Game 4, contributed 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block. Eason, meanwhile, chipped in 20 points, eight rebounds, two assists, five steals, and one block.

Houston also limited Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard to a combined 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting. They averaged a combined 41.6 points in the first three games.

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