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Alperen Şengün on His Second Half Scoring Eruption vs. Bulls: 'My Team Needed Me'

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Coty M. Davis | Last updated Jan 11, 2024 1:30 PM ET

The Houston Rockets dropped their second consecutive game Wednesday night in a 124-119 defeat to the Chicago Bulls. But despite the loss, Alperen Şengün had one of his most impressive performances of the season.

He finished the game with 25 points on 11 of 19 shooting, nine rebounds and five assists. His play inside the United Center marked the 10th time in 11 games Şengün scored 20 or more points, which included three 30-point performances.

But as great as Şengün played, the Bulls only witnessed his dominance for 24 minutes, given that the first two quarters were the worst he played all season.

"I knew my team needed me," Şengün said. "I knew I needed to play harder, and I did in the second half. I wasn't looking for myself or aggressive. When I am playing soft, I am not making shots. But in the second half, it wasn't like that."

Şengün finished the first half scoreless. As a result, the Rockets trailed the Bulls 62-54 at the half. He revealed that coach Ime Udoka told him to "go get some points and score" during the team's halftime meeting. He responded by scoring 20 second-half points and five in overtime.

The Rockets trailed by 16 points early through the third quarter. But behind the All-Star performance from Şengün, Houston began to find its rhythm in the fourth quarter. Houston went on a 27-11 run during the period. And with 23.2 seconds left, Şengün tied the game at 112 by converting a layup.

The Rockets held a 119-114 lead with 2:50 left in overtime after Şengün scored on a layup attempt. Unfortunately, Houston was unable to sustain its play. The Bulls finished the game on a 10-0 run.

"It was crazy," Şengün said. "They made two clutch 3's that got them back in the game and we did not do anything. It was a tough loss."

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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