Alperen Şengün scored 43 points on 17-of-24 shooting with 12 rebounds and 5 assists in Houston's 125-118 win over Utah on Friday, his second career 40-point game. The Rockets said he joined Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming as the only franchise players with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists on 70% shooting since 1956-57.
Şengün exploited Utah's thin center rotation, and with Kevin Durant taking a step back, he has more offensive responsibility. He is shooting well above his career three-point percentage, which may regress, but his overall production is career-best.
Alperen Şengün had 43 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists on 17-of-24 shooting in Houston's 125-118 win over Utah on Friday, and the Rockets say he joined Hakeem Olajuwon (1994) and Yao Ming (2004) as the only franchise players with 40+ points, 10+ rebounds, 5+ assists on 70% shooting since 1956-57.
Şengün's 43 points led Houston to an NBA Cup group play win; Kevin Durant had 22 points and 6 assists, Tari Eason 14 and 11, and Darryn Peterson scored a career-high 28.
MSengun just put up a line that puts him next to Hakeem and Yao in Houston history.
LForty-three points, twelve boards, five dimes, and he shot seventy percent from the floor.
MSeventeen of twenty-four. That's not a hot night, that's a statement.
LThe Rockets say he's only the third guy in franchise history to go forty, ten, and five on seventy percent shooting, joining Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994 and Yao Ming in 2004.
MHakeem in ninety-four, Yao in oh-four, and now Sengun. That's the kind of company that gets a jersey in the rafters.
LAnd he did it against Utah with Kevin Durant taking a step back. This is his team now.
MHold on, let's not put him in the Hall of Fame yet. Utah's center rotation is thinner than a gas station hot dog.
LCome on, you can only play who's in front of you. He exploited the matchup and dominated.
MI'm not saying it's fake, I'm saying let's see him do it against a real rim protector before we start printing the banner.
LBrian Taylor at NBC Sports said he won't be this good every night, but this is a career year and it could be sustainable with Durant stepping back.
MAnd Jimmy Vik had flagged efficiency concerns after three sub-forty percent games. Sengun answered that with seventy percent shooting.
LFine, the efficiency concerns are dead for now. But the real question is whether Houston can win a playoff series with him as the number one option.
MThat's the argument. Regular season numbers are nice, but Hakeem and Yao won playoff games. Sengun hasn't done that yet.
LHe's twenty-four years old! Hakeem didn't win a title until he was thirty-one. Give the kid time.
MI'm not saying trade him, I'm saying let's not crown him after one November game against a bad team.
LIt's not one game, it's a season-long trend. He's been Houston's best player all year.
MBest player on a team that hasn't won a playoff series in a while. That's the bar.
LAnd he's clearing it. You don't get forty-three points by accident.
MYou get forty-three points by playing Utah's backup centers. But fine, he's good. I'll give you that.
LThat's the most backhanded compliment I've ever heard.
MMeanwhile, Davion Mitchell apparently tied his career high with seventeen assists for Miami. But again, I couldn't confirm that.
LSeventeen assists is a huge number for a guy who's mostly known as a defender. If it's true, that's a breakout.
MThe Heat won their East Group B game, but the career-high part is unverified. So we'll keep an eye on that.
LSwitching gears, there's a Bluesky post from Bum Chillups giving applause to a photo editor at The Athletic.
MWhat's the photo?
LNo idea, but the post has two hundred twenty-six likes. So it must be a good one.
MGreat, we're now covering posts about photos we can't see. This is peak sports radio.
LHey, the people have spoken. Two hundred twenty-six likes says that photo editor deserves a raise.
MFine, but next time let's get a screenshot. I'm not doing a whole segment on a mystery photo.
LDeal. But seriously, the Sengun story is the one that matters. That's a franchise player announcing himself.
MAnd that's why we led with it. Hakeem, Yao, and now Sengun. Houston's got a new big man to believe in.
LAnd if he keeps this up, the Rockets might actually be a playoff threat. That's the conversation.
MAnd the argument's just getting started.