Sengun Powers Rockets to 109-97 Victory Over Knicks
Return of the Wizard. Undefeated Adams. Winning Template.
He’s officially back. After a few subpar games, Alperen Sengun returned to the best version of himself on Monday night, leading the Rockets to a 109-97 victory over the New York Knicks. Also known on nights like these as “The Wizard”, Sengun finished with 25 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks on the night. This matchup was closer than the final score indicates. The Rockets held a 15-point lead in the first half, and almost let the Knicks storm back in the second half. Jalen Green hit a couple of clutch threes, but struggled throughout the game. Green scored 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting from the floor. Amen Thompson had 12 points and 9 boards off the bench, and Tari Eason brought his usual energy that doesn’t always show up in the stat sheet. Coach Ime Udoka is starting to utilize this dynamic duo off the bench more often, as their energy and defense is infectious, and exactly what this young Rockets team needs.
Fred VanVleet finally showed up to the party. After a dreadful start, FVV had his best game of the season against the Knicks. VanVleet registered 19 points and dished out 5 dimes in the victory. Reed Sheppard had the best game of his young NBA career. The rookie scored 7 points on 3-for-8 shooting, and grabbed 2 boards in a limited 14 minutes of action. Given Houston’s roster depth, it will be difficult for Sheppard to see consistent playing time, unless injuries occur. Regardless, on Monday night the sharpshooting rookie finally looked comfortable out on the court. And the Rockets now improved to 3-0 when Steven Adams plays. The Aussie center has missed four of Houston’s first seven games dealing with injury management, but his presence has been felt when he’s on the floor. The intangibles that Adams brings (defense, toughness, offensive rebounding) are hard to match with any big man in the entire league. It’s no surprise the Rockets are undefeated when Adams is in uniform. Expect the big man to be a huge contributor for Houston all season.
This win over New York is the closest the Rockets have had to playing four solid quarters in the same game. Sure, they let the Knicks back within a few points after leading by 15, but Houston managed to close this game, and made the final score appear misleading. This contest was very close in clutch time, yet this time, the Rockets were able to avoid any late-game collapses. It’s as close to a winning template for Houston as we’ve seen all season. Green needs to perform better, along with Jabari Smith Jr., but everyone contributed for the Rockets in this win. Up next, the Rockets are back in action on Wednesday night, as they close their home-stand against the San Antonio Spurs.