By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
During the NBA Night, Houston Rockets fans witnessed the umpteenth decisive performance by Alperen Sengun, who led the red-and-white franchise to the huge 136-113 win against the Detroit Pistons, keeping his team in playoff contention at 16-15, 9th in the Western Conference.
The former Besiktas player, who won the Turkish league MVP before leaving for the United States, was once again his team’s leader, performing an all-around game of 26 points, 4 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals, shooting 9/13 from the field and 8/9 at the charity stripe.
After the game, the Detroit Pistons head coach praised the 21-year-old, comparing him with two of the biggest superstars in the whole NBA. “He might be the best post-up guy in the league now. It’s like Jokic, Embiid and him”, he said. Ime Udoka, instead, tried to humble him. “I specifically told him to keep it simple, stop searching for fouls and just play”, the Houston Rockets head coach added.
Alperen Sengun himself said to the media he needs more improvements. “I knew I needed to play better. I was mad at myself, and I pushed myself in the second half. I played my game. I wasn’t playing like myself in the first half. I missed a lot of shots. I didn’t play with that energy, but if you want to win everyone has to play well, and I did my job in the third quarter”, the Turkish star commented.
So far in the 2023-24 NBA Regular Season, the 21-year-old has been averaging 21.1 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, shooting 54.0% from the field and 71.9% at the free throw line. In the last six games, Alperen Sengun has scored 20 points per night consecutively.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images