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Following his unreal showing against the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday, Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun continued his dominance with a stat line never seen from a center before.
Coming from a 45-point career high against Victor Wembanyama, Sengun notched his second triple-double of the season, showcasing not only his strength down low but also his court vision against the Los Angeles Clippers. Sengun tallied 23 points, 19 rebounds and a career-high 14 assists.
The Rockets dominated to start the game, disrupting the Clippers, making key stops and shooting effectively.
They commanded a lead of up to 20 points and never trailed in the first 44 minutes of play. However, their success relied heavily on their defense. When their defensive intensity faded, so did their lead as they ultimately suffered a 122-116 loss.
Clippers spoil Alperen Sengun's dominance with Rockets
While the first half boasted moments of exhilarating youth brilliance and remarkably accurate 3-point shooting from the Rockets, the second half painted a different picture.
Initially, it seemed Houston could maintain its lead against the Clippers, responding to LA's surges with effective counters to keep them at arm's length. However, the tide shifted once the opposing stars found their rhythm, facilitating the Clippers' comeback.
The Clippers spoiled Alperen Sengun’s historic night, narrowing Houston's lead to six points entering the fourth quarter. Then, by the 6:14 mark of the period, Los Angeles closed the gap to just two points (101-99) after a Kawhi Leonard trey.
Leonard then leveled the score to 108 with a mid-range snipe with 3:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, forcing the Rockets to a corner and allowing the Clippers to close out the game with a decisive 14-6 run.
Houston's defense faltered in the second half, surrendering a staggering 78 points to the Clippers. The final outcome was disappointing for the Rockets, especially following two consecutive wins and with a potential opportunity to climb in the play-in standings.
While Houston technically remains in contention, this loss felt like a significant setback—a tough lesson that young teams often experience on their journey to success.
Still the future looks bright for Alperen Sengun and the Rockets with head coach Ime Udoka noting their versatility, “We have big wings, Amen (Thompson) and Jabari (Smith) and those guys that can do a lot of cross-matching as well. Even missing Tari (Eason) and Jae’Sean (Tate) not playing as much, Jeff is a small-ball five, I think we have a lot of versatility there so we can do a lot of things.”
