It is quickly becoming evident that Alperen Sengun is the crown jewel of the Houston Rockets' rebuilding efforts. This is especially true amid Jalen Green's ride along the teeter-totter of inconsistency. And on Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards, Sengun showed once more just how impactful he can be, especially as he continues to develop his game.
In 37 minutes of play, Sengun dominated Daniel Gafford and the rest of the Wizards frontline. He put up 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, notching his second triple of the season (and his career). In doing so, he became the first center in NBA history to tally multiple triple-doubles for his career before turning 21 years old, per ESPN Stats & Info. To put this feat in perspective, this was something that not even the two-time MVP Nikola Jokic was able to accomplish.
Nikola Jokic entered the league when he was 20, and he became the Denver Nuggets' unquestioned starter in the middle of his rookie campaign. However, the Joker notched his first career triple-double in February 2017, when he was already 21 years old. Thus, knowing what we know now about Jokic, it's a marvel that he was not able to accomplish the feat Alperen Sengun just pulled off.
But Sengun wasn't done making history just yet. In addition to his triple-double, he also added three steals and two blocks to his already-gaudy stat line. And in doing so, he became just the fourth player in NBA history to tally a triple-double with multiple steals and blocks before turning 21, joining Magic Johnson, Lonzo Ball, and Antoine Walker, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
It's such a shame, however, that Alperen Sengun's performance ended up in yet another loss for the worst team in the league in the Rockets. Houston choked away a 10-point fourth quarter lead by allowing Kyle Kuzma to catch fire–leading to a Washington win, 108-103. Moreover, the Rockets' offense struggled after they went away from what worked in the first three quarters of the game: letting Sengun cook.
Still, even with the Rockets' struggles, it's clear that they have a gem of a piece to build around in the young Turkish center.
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