Despite a brutal shooting slump, Sengun delivers a clutch game-clinching basket, silencing doubts and proving his All-Star caliber in a nail-biting victory.
February Eve marked the halfway point of the season for Rockets fans in Houston. More specifically, halftime was exactly 20.5 games into their 41 games at home. Their 16-4 record gave everyone confidence, despite only building an eight point lead after 24 minutes.
Sengun continued to struggle following his 3/14 shooting night in Atlanta on Thursday, starting tonight’s contest 0/7. Tallying his first points with 5:04 remaining in the half, he finished 2/12 from the field.
Credit great ball movement for the lead at the half, as KD’s three at the end of the quarter stretched the lead to eight and gave Houston their 18th assist of the evening. Pair that to only one turnover, and it’s a recipe for success.
Houston came out of the locker room with a play drawn up to get Alpi an easy dunk on their first possession. Plus another assist for the team as well.
The lead extended to double digits and floated around there for a majority of the third quarter, getting to 13 at the largest. This young Dallas team was motivated though, cutting the lead to five by the end of the quarter.
After a back and forth start to the fourth, Cooper Flagg started to take over. His aggressiveness paid off as they went on a 10-2 run, cutting the lead to two with 2:14 remaining. Officially another clutch game for the Rockets, Naji Marshall tied the game up with 47 seconds left in the game.
Desperate for a bucket, where will they turn? That’s right, the guy shooting 5/19 from the field with a negative three plus/minus on the night.
Alperen Sengun saves the day after a horrid shooting stretch, breaking the tie on a mismatch in the post. That’s just what All-Stars do. He showed exactly why he should be named to the team when they’re announced in just under 24 hours.