The Houston Rockets’ unbeaten start may be getting another test before they ever reach the floor against Dallas.
Alperen Sengun has been listed as questionable for Friday night’s matchup with the Mavericks, according to the NBA injury report. If he can’t go, it would mark his second straight missed game after sitting out part of the Rockets’ matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks because of the same injury.
That’s a tough possible absence for Houston, because Sengun has been one of the driving forces behind the team’s 5-0 start. While the Rockets didn’t make the kind of splashy offseason moves that turn heads, they’ve opened the year as the NBA’s best team. Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson have done plenty of the heavy lifting on offense, combining for 40.6 points per night, but Sengun has been right there with them as a major reason the group keeps rolling.
The Turkish big man is putting up 24.5 points, nine rebounds and seven assists per game, and he’s been doing it in a way that highlights just how complete his game has become under Ime Udoka.
Even with the injury concern, Sengun’s recent production shows how much he means to Houston’s attack. Earlier in the week, he delivered 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists against the Atlanta Hawks, helping the Rockets build a ten-point edge by the final buzzer.
If Sengun is ruled out again, Tari Eason could be in line to fill that spot once more, just as he did against Milwaukee. For now, though, Houston will wait to see how Udoka handles the rotation.
Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. EST.
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