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Alperen Sengun #28 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets talk during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Houston Rockets will have to make history to advance in the first-round of the NBA Playoffs, but Alperen Sengun believes they have a good chance. Friday night saw the Los Angeles Lakers rallying from down 6 points with 25 seconds to tie Game 3 and take a 3-0 series lead after an overtime win. Houston head coach Ime Udoka ripped his team after the game and implied they were not ready for the big moments of playoff basketball.

Sengun said the following when asked about the team’s chances after a heartbreaking loss:

“We have another game Sunday. The series is not over. We still believe we can come back. Nobody is giving up. That’s what we’re going to do.”

The comment showed that Sengun believes his Rockets teammates are not ready to quit just yet. Houston must win Game 4 at home to extend the series before anything else. No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit.

Only one MLB team accomplished this when the Boston Red Sox did it in 2004. Four NHL teams have pulled off the comeback, but the Rockets would be the first to ever do it in the NBA.

Rockets Badly Need Kevin Durant Back

Kevin Durant has now missed two of Houston’s first three games with an ankle injury. A questionable tag makes it unclear if the Rockets will get Durant back for Game 4. It is hard to imagine Houston extending this series without Durant leading them as the best overall player.

Young players Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith, and Reed Sheppard have had mixed results so far. Despite putting up decent numbers, all three have made noteworthy mistakes in the close games. Durant’s veteran presence makes a huge difference for a relatively young rotation of players still getting used to the experience of playoff basketball.

The losses look worse since Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are both out for the Lakers via their respective injuries. Reaves is nearing a return from his oblique injury and is currently listed as questionable for Game 4. The eventual return of Reaves will make it even tougher for the Rockets to come back from down 0-3.

Alperen Sengun Could Be Traded For Houston’s Failure

Recent reports suggest that Houston no longer views Sengun as an untouchable trade piece. The Rockets seemed to have their center for the next decade when Sengun broke out and became their most successful homegrown star in decades.

However, Houston reportedly has interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo on the trade block this summer. The Rockets have enough young talents to make them a relevant candidate for any major name available to acquire via a trade this offseason.

Sengun was named as a potential top asset that Houston could send to the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis. A combination of Sengun and multiple draft picks could be enough to tempt Milwaukee. The Bucks don’t own most of their upcoming draft picks and could try to win with Sengun as the new face of the franchise if the Rockets send the offer.