Rockets' Sengun Sends Message to Lakers for G5, 'Know They're Gonna Hit...We're Hitting Them Too'

Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün says the Los Angeles Lakers should brace for a more physical Game 5 when their first-round series continues Wednesday night in Los Angeles.

"I'm ready... I know they're gonna hit. Well, we're hitting them too," Şengün said Tuesday (h/t Houston Rockets on SI's Lachard Binkley).

"We're younger. We heal faster than them, probably. And we're just going to hit each other, and that's at the end of the day what's going on."

The Rockets claimed a 115-96 win in Sunday night's Game 4 to avoid elimination by the Lakers, who are heading into Wednesday with a 3-1 series lead.

Deandre Ayton was ejected in the third quarter of Sunday's loss after receiving Flagrant Foul 2 for a hit to Şengün's head that officials called "unnecessary and excessive."

Lakers head coach JJ Redick said after the game that Ayton's arm had "just kind of slipped."

Şengün seemingly agreed when said after the game he had been surprised by a call he described as "a little bit soft."

He also described getting ribbed by Lakers players following Ayton's ejection.

"They were telling me, 'You go to the floor every time, but you didn't go this time," Şengün said Sunday night. "I said, 'I'm not going to the floor today... I would die over here, but not give up on anything.'"

Ayton's early exit left the already-shorthanded Lakers missing their top scorer on an off night for LeBron James.

James, who was instrumental in each of the Lakers' first three wins of the series, finished with just 10 points on 2-for-9 shooting from the field.

He wasn't the only Lakers player struggling against a more physical Rockets defense. The home team held the Lakers to just 23 percent shooting from deep while earning 30 points off 24 turnovers.

The Lakers were playing without Austin Reaves, who was a game-time decision for Games 3 and 4, as well as Luka Dončić, who ESPN's Shams Charania reports will miss at least the rest of the first round.

The Rockets were led in scoring by Amen Thompson and Tari Eason despite missing Kevin Durant, who has played just one game in the series so far.

Imitating Sunday's physical defense will be especially key for the Rockets if Durant is forced to miss more time. His injury would necessitate two to three weeks of recovery during the regular season, per Charania.

Both teams will now wait for injury updates ahead of another must-win game for the Rockets tips off Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET.