Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun earned his first career All-Star selection on Thursday, but it wasn’t a great day for him or his team.
Sengun missed his first game of the season due to a bruised calf, and the Rockets lost 120-119 to Memphis, which pulled the Grizzlies to within a half-game of Houston for the second seed in the Western Conference. The result also tied the two teams atop the Southwest Division standings.
Sengun, listed as questionable, may miss another game when the Rockets try to hold on to their division lead against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
Sengun is averaging 19.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season. Injuries are starting to pile up for the Rockets, who have been without starting forward Jabari Smith Jr. (hand) since January 1, and reserve forward Tari Eason, who has played 31 games but is still dealing with leg soreness.
Only five Rockets have played at least 40 games this season, with guard Jalen Green leading the way. Green has started 151 consecutive games since February 26, 2023, and has missed just 21 games in his three-plus seasons with the Rockets. His consistency has helped the team as they try to build a strong foundation.
“It’s something you don’t take for granted. He hasn’t missed a game since I’ve been here,” said second-year Rockets coach Ime Udoka. “He plays through everything—injuries, pain, things that most guys would sit out for. That takes a certain toughness.”
“Even though he’s not the most physical guy, his ability to play through everything is valuable,” Udoka added. “Many nights, he’s been sick or had swelling, but he still plays. We saw that last year when he played all 82 games, and he’s continued that this season, showing his competitiveness and toughness.”
The Nets snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 104-83 win at Charlotte on Wednesday, breaking a stretch where they lost 12 of 13 games.
Brooklyn was without several key players, including Cam Thomas (hamstring), Bojan Bogdanovic (foot), Noah Clowney (ankle), and Cameron Johnson (ankle). However, they welcomed back Ben Simmons after a five-game absence due to illness. Trendon Watford also returned to action, scoring nine points and grabbing four rebounds in his first game since December 16.
Despite the injuries, Brooklyn had six players score in double figures in the win. Coach Jordi Fernandez emphasized that with a short-handed roster, sharing the ball and balanced scoring was key.
“The ball’s got energy. If the ball moves and everybody scores, everybody touches the ball, that really makes a difference,” Fernandez said. “We’ve had seven games where multiple guys have been in double digits, and that’s how we want to play.”
