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Varun Shankar: Amen Thompson’s IG story
Amen Thompson’s IG story pic.twitter.com/RbitW6LfB9
— Varun Shankar (@ByVarunShankar) February 3, 2026
After scoring 39 points in the win over the Pacers, Alperen Sengun admitted that he was expecting to be named an All-Star. As he admitted after the game: “My goal was to become an All-Star every year after last year. Frankly, it was disappointing for me, but these things happen”. The silver lining for Sengun is that he is still just 23 years old: “There is a lot of talent in the league and I am still a young player. I know that sooner or later I will achieve this. This situation pushes me to work harder. I still have goals and I have to achieve it. Things like this always motivate me in a good way. I need to work harder, I need to be disciplined in what I do. I hope I have many more years in the NBA and many All-Star selections. I will achieve this”.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How do you see the fit between a veteran like Kevin Durant and a young talent like Alperen Sengun in that starting lineup? Ralph Sampson: They have to mesh together first. Once they find that rhythm, they’re going to be very dominant. But remember, they are playing for the playoffs now, not just the regular season. The Rockets have had a good team for a while, but down the stretch, they need to rest KD as much as possible so he’s fresh. You don’t want him worn out by the time the post-season hits. It’s going to be fun to watch. Brandon “Scoop B” Robinnson: Some people have compared Sengun to Pau Gasol. Do you see the resemblance? Ralph Sampson: My jury is still out on that. He definitely doesn’t remind me of Pau Gasol yet. Gasol is a Hall of Fame player, and Şengün still has things to prove. It’s like what Oklahoma City did this year—they had things to prove, and they went out and won an NBA championship. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with him.
Varun Shankar: Alperen Şengün will test his ankle tonight before deciding on if he plays, per Udoka. Right ankle sprain for the big man
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Appearing on the Buckets Don't Stop podcast, the veteran guard claimed he sees himself as a perfect fit and a crucial piece for the Houston Rockets. "I'd love to go to Rockets," Dinwiddie said. "I'd love to go to Rockets. One of my best NBA friends, Dorian Finney-Smith, is on the Rockets. And I think, the [Fred] VanVleet injury really hurt them. I think they have all the makings of having that championship-type team. "They have young talent in [Jabari] Smith Jr. and [Amen] Thompson. They got a great post up threat and creator in [Alperen] Sengun. You got an all-time, all-world scorer in [Kevin Durant]. And I think [I'm] a guard that can go in there, catch and shoot off of Sengun and KD, set the table in terms of just taking some of the thought process of, setting the table in terms of KD and Sengun just letting them score.
Will Guillory: Final: Rockets 111, Pistons 104 Big-time road win for the Rockets on the 2nd night of a B2B. Houston improves to 27-16, 5-2 over the last 7. Kevin Durant had 32 points on 11-19 shooting. Alperen Şengün had 19 points and 5 assists. Reed Sheppard scored 18 off the bench. Rockets hold the Pistons to 40.5 percent shooting in the 2nd half. Cade Cunningham only had 12 points and 8 assists. Gritty performance against the top team in the East.
Erin Grugan: Former Sixers' player Furkan Korkmaz said back in Sept. 2025: "Until now I thought Joel Embiid was the best player, best center I was playing with, but I think we can tell it's Alperen Sengun now" Embiid just posted his staredown of Sengun with the caption "Furk..." on IG
Former Sixers' player Furkan Korkmaz said back in Sept. 2025: "Until now I thought Joel Embiid was the best player, best center I was playing with, but I think we can tell it's Alperen Sengun now"
— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) January 23, 2026
Embiid just posted his staredown of Sengun with the caption "Furk..." on IG pic.twitter.com/pMzG60PdNs
NBA Communications: Other nominees... West: Donovan Clingan and Shaedon Sharpe (POR), DeMar DeRozan (SAC), Luka Dončić (LAL), James Harden (LAC), Jamal Murray (DEN), Alperen Sengun (HOU) and Victor Wembanyama (SAS). East: Brandon Miller (CHA), Norman Powell (MIA), Pascal Siakam (IND), Anfernee Simons (BOS), Jaylon Tyson (CLE) and Nikola Vučević (CHI).
But with VanVleet likely not returning this season, folks say the Rockets need to get one, at least to finish the year. Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade gave the Rockets a hint. "Blake said, standing around. UD, they need an organizer. They need a quarterback. They need a conductor. They need a guy who can get guys into their spots. They need a guy who can play with bigs. They got Sengun, they got Adams... Chris Paul out there. You need a veteran. They need a guy who don't need to score. Chris Paul out there. Just throw that out there…These are all the things that Chris Paul does well," said Wade.
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Kelly Iko: Alperen Şengün on his right ankle: “Still not 100 percent. It’s not going to be 100 percent for a while. But I’ve played through this all my life and I’m okay with it. Trying to get my treatment every day, feel as strong as I can be and go play.”
Sengun should be back relatively soon, but the Rockets still have some major questions to answer about why they go through these stretches when they freeze up on offense and can’t figure out how to respond. “To start the fourth, we missed probably about eight or nine great shots in a row,” said Kevin Durant, who finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds on his historic night. “We had another one of those possessions where we got three or four offensive rebounds and missed every shot. A lot of these shots are wide open. I don’t really believe their defense did much to us. I think it was just us missing shots.”
As easy as it is to dismiss games like this by saying, “It’s a make-or-miss league” or “It would’ve been different if we made shots,” these cold-shooting nights are becoming a trend for the Rockets. Over the last four games with Şengün out of the lineup, the Rockets have shot a combined 37 of 158 on 3-pointers. That’s 23.4 percent from distance. It’s tough for any team to win when you’re bricking that many open looks.
