Alperen Sengun had a career game on Tuesday. Scoring a career-high 45 points and hauling down 16 rebounds, the Turkish center led the Houston Rockets to a 114-101 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. While all the spotlight was on him, Sengun took the opportunity to make comments that showed the general public how much of a great teammate he is.

During a postgame interview, the 21-year-old dedicated his performance to teammate Tari Eason, who recently underwent a season-ending leg surgery.

“I'm sending this game for Tari Eason,” Sengun said, per ClutchFans. “I love him. He's gonna come back stronger, we need him.”

It seemed that the heartwarming message reached Eason and his mother, whose reaction would put a smile on any Houston fan's face. (clip via TariMuse).

This season, Alperen Sengun is averaging a near-double-double of 21.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The big man leads the team in scoring and is part of a young core that involves Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, Amen Thompson and Eason as well. The Rockets also field in much experienced players such as Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks while they wait for more growth and development from the youth.

It hasn't been the smoothest road so far. The Rockets have shown flashes of brilliance from time to time, but it's clear that patience is needed right now. Houston is 12th in the Western Conference with a 27-34 record and plenty more work needs to be done for them to secure a play-in spot.

Still, the Rockets have won two in a row now and a strong regular-season finish is still possible with 21 games remaining.