“You Don’t Say That”: LeBron James Warns Alperen Sengun in Heated Argument During Lakers-Rockets

Despite the individual battles, Houston managed to stave off elimination. It’s looking a lot different from the LeBron-Kevin Durant dominating series everyone anticipated. Tonight a series that looked like the Rockets to lose is now a different kind of rivalry.

LeBron James is still mad about Game 4 foul

This heated Game 5 atmosphere stands in stark contrast to the start of the series. Following Game 1, a viral clip appeared to show Sengun standing up in deference as James walked past him. That turned out to be a wild social media assumption however. Sengun later dismissed the “respect” narrative, clarifying he was merely trying to retrieve an item from his pocket.

That early misunderstanding has since transformed into genuine on-court animosity, fueled by the officiating drama that has defined the last two matchups. The subtext of James’ warning to Sengun involves a direct reference to the controversial officiating in Game 4.

The Game 4 incident saw Lakers center Deandre Ayton ejected for a flagrant two foul after elbowing Sengun in the head. That game also saw Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard receiving significant fines for confronting officials regarding a massive free-throw disparity. James himself voiced discontent after Game 4, though he focused on the team’s 23 turnovers rather than the whistle. Yet tonight proved he’s still furious about that call.

After Sengun called out LeBron for flopping, James reminded the young center that he was in no position to complain about “soft calls” since that situation.

Heading into Game 6, the narrative has significantly shifted. No longer are the Rockets getting ‘swept.’ They have a chance to tie the series and force Game 7 unless the Lakers win the next game. The buildup from the last two games has shown that the rivalry between these two teams has gone from respectful competition to a gritty, high-stakes battle defined by stinging remarks and physical play.

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