As the Golden State Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets in seven games in the first round of the playoffs last year, things certainly got heated between the two teams, with a long-standing rivalry perhaps gaining new life as both organizations attempt to vie for relevance in a loaded Western Conference.
Yet, a recent statement by Rockets center Alperen Sengun regarding the Warriors' tendency to draw fouls and play physically against the young and inexperienced Houston team has revealed the extent to which Golden State's veterans impacted the series, primarily showcasing Draymond Green's enduring importance even as his athletic abilities decline.
Throughout the series, Sengun and Green were matched up in the paint, and, although Green failed to shut Sengun down offensively, his hard-nosed style of play certainly left a lasting impression on the young center.
Alperen Sengun calls out the Warriors for foul-baiting
Speaking to Turkish publication Socrates Dergi, Sengun both acknowledged the Warriors' experience and called them out for their tactics in the playoffs, saying, "They're a super-experienced team. They also fouled a lot, and fouls just don’t get called much in the playoffs. You get what I'm saying?... Yeah, they were whining the whole series, 'That’s a foul!' They’d complain, and then we couldn’t say anything, because that's not what we do."
To an extent, Sengun has a serious point. With the team's veteran trio of Green, Jimmy Butler, and Stephen Curry, Golden State has extensive experience with the way in which fouls are called and the manner in which referees manage games in the playoffs.
This was obviously part of their strategy, as the under-sized Green was forced to be matched up against the much larger and dominant Sengun in the paint for much of the series. From Game One, Green's task was to disrupt Sengun's offensive game: a mission that resulted in a number of fouls being called on Green.
In fact, Green amassed 24 personal fouls throughout the course of the series, fouling out once and coming within one foul of being ejected three separate times. Nevertheless, through his hard-nosed defensive style Green was able to limit Sengun just enough to largely stall the Rockets' offense.
Although Sengun still averaged 20.9 points in that series, Green's presence prevented Houston from feeding the ball over and over again to their centers: a strategy that might have meant the Warriors' undoing given their challenges at that position.
Moreover, in the series, Golden State was called for a total of 150 personal fouls, while the Rockets were only called for 124. While this fact, at times, harmed the Warriors, they were also able to match Houston's physical style of play just enough to grind past them in seven games.
Therefore, while Sengun certainly has a point in complaining about Golden State's tactics, he's also managed to point out exactly why they were able to win the series: their veteran experience in the playoffs. However, as the Rockets continue to ascend, they could keep causing serious problems for the Warriors.