Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Unlikely to play this week
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Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said Tuesday that Sengun (ankle) is "unlikely" to play in the final week of the regular season, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Sengun hasn't played since suffering a significant right ankle sprain March 10, and though the Rockets initially held out hope that the big man could be back for the tail end of the regular season if a spot in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament was realistic, he'll remain shut down with Houston out of contention. Jabari Smith should continue to start at center the rest of the way, while Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson retain starting roles at the forward spot. Sengun will wrap up his third NBA season with averages of 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.7 blocks and 0.5 three-pointers in 32.5 minutes per game over 63 appearances.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Likely out for regular season
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Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Tuesday that Sengun (ankle) has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 right ankle sprain, as well as a bone bruise in his right knee, and will likely miss the remainder of the regular season.
Adrian Wojnarowski reported Monday that Sengun would need to show significant healing to have a realistic shot at playing again this season, so Charania's update isn't surprising. With Houston falling behind in the race for the 10th seed, the promising young center probably won't push to return over the final weeks, especially considering he's up for a max extension this offseason. Sengun was playing the best basketball of his career before suffering the injury, averaging 27.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in 36.0 minutes over his previous four appearances. In his absence, Jock Landale would seem to be the top candidate to join the starting five if the Rockets want a traditional center, though it's possible Jabari Smith and Jeff Green could see plenty of playing time as small-ball options at the five.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Avoids major injury, will miss time
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Sengun was diagnosed Monday with a severe right ankle sprain and a bone bruise in his right knee after exiting Sunday's 112-104 win over the Kings and undergoing X-rays and an MRI, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Wojnarowski notes that Sengun will miss extended time, and while he hasn't been ruled out for the rest of the regular season, the center would need to show significant healing to have a realistic shot at playing in the Rockets' April 14 finale against the Clippers. Though the injury likely makes it tough for fantasy managers in redraft leagues to justify holding Sengun, the diagnosis comes as a welcome development for the Rockets, who may have feared that the center's absence would extend into the 2024-25 season after he needed to be carted off the floor Sunday in a wheelchair. The big man was playing the best basketball of his young career before suffering the injury, averaging 27.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.8 blocks in 36.0 minutes over his previous four appearances. In Sengun's absence, Jock Landale would seem to be the top candidate to ascend to the starting five if the Rockets want a traditional center on the top unit, though it's possible that Jabari Smith and Jeff Green could see plenty of run as small-ball options at the five.
Sengun supplied 23 points (10-19 FG, 3-8 FT), 19 rebounds, 14 assists and two steals across 42 minutes during Wednesday's 122-116 loss to the Clippers.
Sengun led all players in Wednesday's contest in rebounds and assists while tallying a team-best point total in one of his best outings of the season. Sengun handed out a season-high assist total while hauling in a season-best rebound mark in his second triple-double of the year.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Erupts for career-best 45 points
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Sengun finished Tuesday's 114-101 win over the Spurs with 45 points (19-32 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-7 FT), 16 rebounds, three assists, one block and five steals in 37 minutes.
The 21-year-old center became the youngest player in NBA history -- or at least since steals became an official stat in 1973-74 -- to record at least 45 points, 15 boards and five steals in the same game, joining an exclusive club that includes James Harden, Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis. The points and steals were also career highs for Sengun, while the 16 rebounds were a season high. The double-double was his 28th of the campaign, leaving him one short of tying the career-high 29 he set last season.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Strong two-way play in win
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Sengun finished Saturday's 118-109 win over the Suns with 21 points (9-21 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, one block and two steals in 33 minutes.
Jalen Green led the Rockets in scoring and Fred VanVleet posted one of his best games in recent weeks, so Sengun took somewhat of a back seat in this one. However, the fact he still posted a double-double while contributing defensively without being the focal point of the team shows how much he can impact the box score regularly. Sengun has been Houston's top fantasy performer by a wide margin this season, and the numbers should continue to back that assessment up.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Posts monster line
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Sengun amassed 23 points (8-13 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 7-12 FT), 11 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and two steals across 36 minutes during Tuesday's 112-95 loss to the Thunder.
Lines like this have become the norm for Sengun this season. He's been a sixth-round fantasy value in nine-category leagues so far, posting averages of 21.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Double-double against OKC
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Sengun recorded 19 points (6-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal across 29 minutes during Sunday's 123-110 loss to the Thunder.
It was the 25th double-double of the season for the third-year center, leaving him four short of tying the career high he set in 2022-23. Sengun has been flashing more defensive production of late as well -- over the last five games, he's averaging 18.6 points, 8.2 boards, 4.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Posts another double-double
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Sengun chipped in 17 points (6-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-8 FT), 12 rebounds, four assists and one block in 35 minutes during Friday's 114-110 victory over the Suns.
Sengun recorded his 23rd double-double of the season, and he dominated down low while taking advantage of Jusuf Nurkic's absence due to an ankle problem. The versatile big man has been one of the top fantasy contributors not only for the Rockets but in the Western Conference as a whole due to his impressive two-way play and his ability to rack up double-doubles with ease while also contributing in peripheral categories. Over his last 10 games, Sengun has averaged 18.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks across 32.2 minutes per game.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Sniffs double-double in defeat
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Sengun ended Thursday's 127-105 loss to the Pelicans with 20 points (6-9 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 7-10 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and one steal in 27 minutes.
Sengun finished one rebound shy of posting a double-double, and even though he didn't fill the stat sheet as he's done in other games, he still posted an impressive outing. Sengun is averaging 17.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 0.7 blocks per game since the start of January.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Brings defense in win
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Sengun (back) tallied 18 points (6-10 FG, 6-8 FT), six assists, three rebounds, three blocks and one steal across 36 minutes Monday in the Rockets' 105-103 win over the Knicks.
Though Sengun fell short of his season-long averages in points (21.2) and rebounds (9.2), he salvaged his night by providing his most blocks since Jan. 17 while also shining as a facilitator. Perhaps more important than his production was the fact that Sengun logged 36 minutes, an encouraging sign after he missed Saturday's loss to Atlanta with lower-back pain.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Available to play Monday
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Sengun (back) will play Monday versus the Knicks, Ben DuBose of USA Today reports.
Sengun missed Saturday's contest due to lower back pain, but the 21-year-old will suit up Monday. He joins a Rockets frontcourt that will be without Tari Eason (leg) and Cam Whitmore (ankle).
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Out with back pain
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Sengun will not play in Saturday's game in Atlanta due to lower back pain, Ben DuBose of USA Today reports.
Sengun presumably picked up the injury in the Rockets' previous loss to the Raptors. The absence will mark his first of the season. As a result, Jeff Green, Jock Landale and Boban Marjanovic are all candidates to see increased workloads at center. Sengun's next chance to play will come Monday versus the Knicks.
Sengun accumulated 24 points (10-14 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 13 rebounds and eight assists across 29 minutes during Friday's 135-106 win over the Raptors.
The third-year center likely would have come away with his fourth career triple-double had the game been closer, but the Rockets emptied their bench in the fourth quarter. Sengun has delivered four straight double-doubles and eight in the last nine games, a stretch in which he's averaging 22.2 points, 10.9 boards, 6.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks while shooting 56.6 percent from the floor.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Will play Friday
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Sengun (illness) will play Friday against the Raptors, Lachard Binkley of TheDreamShake.com reports.
Sengun will suit up despite battling an illness, keeping his perfect attendance streak alive. The third-year center is in the midst of a breakout campaign and has posted a double-double in eight of his last 10 appearances. During that stretch, he's averaged 21.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks in 33.9 minutes per game.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Present at shootaround
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Sengun (illness) was present during Houston's morning shootaround, but he remains questionable for Friday's game against the Raptors, Adam Spolane of Sports Radio 610 Houston reports.
While Sengun was present, it's unclear how active he was during the shootaround. The third-year big man has yet to miss a game this season and has posted a double-double in eight of his last 10 appearances. During that stretch, he's averaged 21.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.9 blocks in 33.9 minutes per game.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Questionable for Friday
Rotowire
Sengun (illness) is questionable for Friday's tilt with Toronto.
Sengun has yet to miss a game this season, so don't be surprised if he guts it out Friday evening. We'll have a better idea on his playing status based on his activity level at shootaround, but if he is forced to the sidelines for the first time this season, his minutes would likely be divvied up among Jeff Green, Cam Whitmore and Jae'Sean Tate, with Jabari Smith spending more time at the five spot.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Dices up Lakers
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Sengun finished Monday's 135-119 win over the Lakers with 31 points (14-23 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), 12 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block in 40 minutes.
Sengun shredded the Lakers' interior defense while helping Houston dominate the rebounding battle -- the Rockets grabbed 56 boards compared to just 35 for the Lakers. The center benefited from a hobbled Anthony Davis (Achilles/groin) on Monday, but Sengun has shined throughout January regardless of the quality of his opposition. In 16 appearances this month, Sengun is averaging 23.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 33.8 minutes per contest while shooting 54.9 percent from the floor.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Near triple-double vs. Blazers
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Sengun recorded 30 points (11-17 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 7-8 FT), 10 rebounds, eight assists and one steal over 40 minutes during Wednesday's 137-131 overtime loss to Portland.
Sengun was two assists short of registering his second triple-double of the season. The young center is having a breakout year, and he has registered a double-double or better in each of his last four games. Sengun is averaging 24.5 points on 54.3 percent shooting, 9.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals over 34.5 minutes per game in January.
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Rockets' Alperen Sengun: Flirts with double-double in loss
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Sengun posted 19 points (7-15 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 4-6 FT), nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal over 30 minutes in Monday's 124-115 loss to Philadelphia.
Sengun led all Rockets in rebounds, assists and blocks while ending one point short of the 20-point mark and one board shy of a double-double in an all-around performance. Sengun has tallied at least 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 16 games this year. He has recorded at least 19 points in 14 straight contests.
