Alperen Sengun nearly records triple-double as Rockets defeat Celtics in Boston

Houston Rockets' Turkish center Alperen Sengun posted a near-triple-double performance as the Rockets defeated the Boston Celtics 128-101 on the road at TD Garden.

Sengun played 30 minutes and recorded 16 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, falling just one assist short of a triple-double. His contributions helped Houston secure its third consecutive victory.

Kevin Durant added 26 points for the Rockets, while Amen Thompson contributed 17 points in the road victory.

For the Celtics, Baylor Scheierman led the team with 17 points, Payton Pritchard scored 14 points, and Jaylen Brown added 12 points.

Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket during the game against the Toronto Raptors on October 29, 2025, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE/Getty Images via AFP)

Sengun's professional milestone

Sengun, 23, was the 16th overall pick by Oklahoma City in the 2021 NBA Draft before his rights were acquired by Houston.

Entering the 2024-25 season, he had appeared in 210 games with 148 starts while averaging 14.9 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and 3.8 assists per game.

In the 2023-24 season, Sengun was one of six players to average at least 20.0 points per game, 9.0 rebounds per game, and 5.0 assists per game.

He is the first player in NBA history to record at least 3,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, and 700 assists while playing fewer than 6,000 minutes through the first three seasons of a career.

This season, Sengun is averaging 22.2 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game, and 7.6 assists per game.

Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets protects the ball against Ochai Agbaji #30 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half, Oct. 29, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images via AFP)

Sengun's Turkish basketball background

Sengun played professionally in Türkiye before joining the NBA. In the 2020-21 season, he was named the Turkish Super League MVP while playing for Besiktas.

Sengun was a member of the Turkish senior national team and competed in qualifiers for the 2021 Olympics. He helped Türkiye earn a silver medal at the 2019 FIBA Under-18 European Championships while earning All-Tournament Team honors.

Before focusing on basketball, Sengun was also competitive in swimming.

Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets dribbles against Collin Murray-Boyles #12 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half Oct. 29, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images via AFP)

Warriors fall to pacers in final seconds

In other NBA action, the Golden State Warriors lost a close contest to the Indiana Pacers 114-109 despite leading for most of the game.

The Pacers earned their first win of the season in a home victory.

Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers with 31 points, Pascal Siakam added 27 points, and Quenton Jackson contributed 23 points in the winning effort.

For the Warriors, Stephen Curry scored 24 points, Jimmy Butler posted 20 points with 6 rebounds and 7 assists, and Jonathan Kuminga added 17 points.

November 02, 2025 05:23 PM GMT+03:00