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Alperen Sengun returned to the court on Sunday night after a short injury absence, giving the Houston Rockets a key player back sooner than expected.
The Turkish center came back from a right ankle sprain in the road game against the Sacramento Kings and delivered an immediate impact, even as Houston lost the game. His return came earlier than initial medical expectations and ended uncertainty around his recovery timeline.
Sengun rejoined the Rockets lineup eight days after he sprained his right ankle in Dallas on Jan. 3.
Medical expectations initially pointed to a two week absence. Rockets Wire reported that Houston cleared him earlier than planned. Coach Ime Udoka treated his status as a game time decision before the Sacramento game, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Sengun started in his return game and recorded 19 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block and showed no visible limitation in movement during the game. Sacramento won the game by 111 to 98.
Rockets Wire shared team data that reflects Sengun’s role in Houston’s system.
Houston entered the Sacramento game after consecutive losses in Portland, which added urgency to his return.
While Sengun returned, Houston faced a new injury setback. Tari Eason suffered a right ankle sprain in Friday’s loss to Portland and missed the Sacramento game.
Udoka described Eason’s injury as game to game and said MRI results brought good news, according to both Rockets Wire and the Houston Chronicle. Aaron Holiday started in Eason’s place.
The Sacramento game also included a milestone performance. DeMar DeRozan scored 22 points and reached 26,000 career points, becoming the twenty third player in NBA history to reach that mark.
For Houston, Amen Thompson scored 31 points and collected 13 rebounds. Kevin Durant added 23 points. Sacramento controlled the game and closed with a home victory.
The Houston Chronicle reported that Udoka pointed to late game execution and defensive consistency as recent problem areas during the road trip.
Sengun’s injury occurred just over one minute into the Jan. 3 game in Dallas. He missed three games before returning. Houston’s next game takes place Tuesday at home against the Chicago Bulls. With Sengun back and Eason listed as day to day, the Rockets aim to stabilize their rotation after a difficult road stretch.
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