Houston Rockets Star Alperun Sengun Dazzles On Opening Night

Alperen Sengun put on an absolute clinic Tuesday night. The Houston Rockets’ big man dropped 39 points, grabbed 11 boards, dished out seven assists, and—here’s the kicker—drained five three-pointers against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Five. Triples. From a center who made just three total in Houston’s final 22 games last season. But here’s the gut punch: Despite Sengun’s career performance, the Rockets fell 125-124 in double overtime. That makes him a perfect 0-5 in season openers throughout his NBA career. Talk about a rough start to every campaign.

When Centers Start Raining Threes

Let’s talk about those five triples for a second. Sengun attempted just 1.2 three-pointers per game last season and converted a measly 23.3% of them. Now he’s out here hitting five on eight attempts like he’s been studying Steph Curry film all summer.

Sengun went 12-for-24 from the field, added two steals and a block, and looked every bit the All-Star he became last season. At just 23 years old, watching Sengun add a reliable outside shot to his arsenal is genuinely terrifying for the rest of the league.

The EuroBasket Effect

Sengun’s summer wasn’t spent lounging on a beach somewhere. The Turkish center led his national team to the EuroBasket finals, where they lost to Germany. More impressively, he went head-to-head with NBA MVPs Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo—and held his own.

That international experience clearly paid dividends. The confidence he displayed against elite competition translated directly to opening night, where he looked comfortable pulling from deep and creating off the dribble in ways we hadn’t seen before.

Kevin Durant’s Debut Gets Overshadowed

Poor Kevin Durant. The future Hall of Famer scored 23 points in his Rockets debut, but it got completely buried under Sengun’s explosion and the heartbreaking loss. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander coolly sank two free throws with 2.3 seconds left in the second overtime to seal the win for OKC, and Jabari Smith Jr.’s last-second jumper rimmed out.

Here’s the thing, though. Even with Durant in town, this is Sengun’s team. The Turkish big man is the focal point of Houston’s offense, and if he keeps shooting like this from deep, the Rockets are going to be a serious problem in the Western Conference.

Historic Territory

StatMuse dropped this gem: Sengun became the third-youngest forward in NBA history to post a 35/10/5 game with five threes. The only players ahead of him? LeBron James and Durant. That’s pretty elite company for a guy who’s still figuring out his game.

The evolution from his rookie season—when Houston won just 20 games—to last year’s 52-win campaign has been remarkable. Sengun averaged 19.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game last season while appearing in a career-high 76 contests. Those numbers look quaint compared to what he might accomplish if Tuesday’s performance becomes the norm.

What’s Next For Houston?

The Rockets host the Detroit Pistons on Friday night for their home opener. Sengun will get another crack at breaking that dreaded 0-5 opening night streak, though technically this one’s already in the books.

The real question is whether that three-point shooting is sustainable. If Sengun can keep defenders honest from beyond the arc, it opens up everything else in his game—the post-ups, the drives, the playmaking. He’s already one of the league’s best passing big men, and now he might be adding “floor spacer” to his resume.

Houston’s front office bet big on this young core, and nights like Tuesday show why. Sure, the loss stings, but watching Sengun transform from a raw prospect into a legitimate franchise cornerstone has to feel pretty good. Even if he can’t seem to win on opening night to save his life.

The Rockets didn’t get the W, but they got a glimpse of what Sengun might become this season. And if this version of him shows up consistently, that 0-5 opening night record won’t matter much come playoff time.