Şengün battled Jokic in a ferocious duel, showcasing dual triple-doubles and pushing a game to the brink of personal intensity.
Alperen Şengün vs. Nikola Jokic was exactly what it was supposed to be — and somehow still more than that. Two centers running offenses, bending defenses, and turning a regular-season game in December into something that felt personal by the fourth quarter.
Şengün set the tone early. Ten points and two assists halfway through the first quarter, controlling pace against a Nuggets team that’s one of the best first-quarter groups in the league. Denver came in hot, winners of four straight on the road, but Houston punched first. And a big reason they could was Şengün’s comfort operating as a hub, not just a scorer. That’s the shared DNA here— both Jokic and Şengün are part of a rare class of centers averaging seven-plus assists, and the game flowed through them every possession.
Jokic answered the way Jokic always does. Scoring, rebounding, passing— all of it effortless and relentless. By the end of the night, he had his twelfth triple-double of the season with 39 points, 15 rebounds, and ten assists, shooting efficiently from everywhere on the floor. Şengün matched him punch for punch, finishing with a 33-point triple-double of his own on just under 52-percent shooting.
And then it got physical. Fouls piled up. Trips to the line became inevitable. Things got personal under the rim. Both players picked up five fouls. Every possession mattered. Every touch felt loaded.
This wasn’t about flash. It was about control. About two centers dictating tempo, forcing decisions, and dragging entire defenses into uncomfortable places. The Nuggets survived it. The Rockets didn’t.
But if this matchup told us anything, it’s that Şengün belongs in these conversations