The Houston Rockets are the hottest team in the Western Conference. They were counted out after falling to 9 games under .500 at the end of February, but had won 9 straight games heading into Monday night’s action to pull to within a game of the Golden State Warriors for the 10th seed and final spot in the Play-In Tournament.
Rockets Have Been Winning Without Sengun
Report: Alperen Sengun could make Houston Rockets return during regular season https://t.co/VsEvE5ctNI
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 25, 2024
The news got even better ahead of their game against the Trail Blazers, as there is apparent hope that they’ll get back one of their best players before the end of the regular season.
Alperen Sengun has been one of the most improved players in the NBA this season. He is Houston’s leading scorer at 21.1 points per game, and adds 5 assists and just shy of 10 rebounds per contest as well. So when there was a serious cause for concern when he was taken off of the court in a wheelchair back on March 10th in a game against the Kings. The Rockets didn’t have the highest of hopes for their season at that point, but a debilitating injury to an up-and-coming star player would be a tough way to end the season.
But there was good news in the days that followed, as it was revealed that Sengun had avoided any serious structural damage, and instead suffered a “significant sprain”.
Leading Scorer Could Return Before End Of Regular Season
Alperen Sengun was taken to the locker room after an apparent leg injury
Hope he’s okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/SauGnnZZ1n
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 11, 2024
There didn’t appear to be much of any reason to rush the young player back into action, and it was thought that he might sit out the rest of the regular season regardless of the length of recovery.
Given the recent hot streak that his team is on, though, the Rockets may need to rethink their plans. They’ve pulled to within a game of Golden State, and have a chance to cut the lead to just a half-game if they are able to beat the Blazers on Monday night (they are 14.5 favorites). And according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, the team will certainly consider bringing him back if they have something to play for.
They’ve been winning without their high scorer, winning 6 in a row since Sengun went down. But they’ll need to be at full strength if they want to catch the Warriors or Lakers in the standings, and having Sengun’s production in the lineup will be a big help in achieving their goals.
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