The Houston Rockets were staring elimination in the face, down 3-0 in their playoff series against the Lakers. But this team has shown it's not ready to go quietly. After grinding out a win in Game 4, the Rockets stormed into Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday and delivered a gutsy 99-93 victory, cutting the series deficit to 3-2. Now, with momentum on their side, the series heads back to Houston for a pivotal Game 6.

Center Alperen Sengun has been a steadying force throughout this comeback. In Game 5, he didn't just dominate inside—he dished out eight assists, showing off his playmaking ability and keeping the Lakers' defense guessing. After the game, Sengun was calm but confident, speaking about the energy brewing in Houston and what lies ahead.

"Everybody is feeling amazing. Nobody's tired. Today everybody showed it, going in front of our family, fans, you know. Hopefully, it's going to be a lot of people out there. And you know, we're gonna protect home and come back here for Game 7," Sengun said, his words carrying the weight of a team that believes it can finish the job.

When asked about his eight-assist performance, Sengun pointed to a simple adjustment: reading the defense. "I've been aggressive the last four games. And today I knew they were coming after me. So I was just trying to find my teammates, and everybody was ready to shoot," he explained.

Sengun also drew on lessons from last season, when the Rockets fought back from a 3-1 deficit only to lose in Game 7. That painful memory fuels their current resolve. "We had the mistake last season, come back from 3-1 and lost Game 7. But this year, hopefully not make a mistake. Come back over here, finish strong," he added.

If the Rockets can win Game 6, this series will go the distance—and Sengun is already sounding like a man who's planning for a decisive Game 7. For a team that looked dead in the water just days ago, the fight is far from over.