Houston Rockets center Alperen Şengün suffered an ankle sprain and bruised knee during Sunday’s win against the Sacramento Kings, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski notes that although Şengün hasn’t yet been ruled out for the season, “significant healing would need to occur” for the 21-year-old center to return by the Rockets’ regular-season finale on April 14.
On Sunday, Şengün took an awkward fall in the fourth quarter of Houston’s 112—104 victory over Sacramento and left the game in a wheelchair, visibly shaken by what could have been a major injury. MRI scans on Monday revealed Şengün avoided serious ligament damage in his right knee and won’t need surgery.
With the Rockets (29—35) currently sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference—4 1/2 games out of the play-in tournament with 18 regular-season games remaining—Şengün may not have much reason to rush back to the court this year.
Şengün, the No. 16 pick in the 2021 draft, is averaging career-highs of 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in his third season in Houston.
The Rockets big man became the fifth player in NBA history to record at least 45 points, 15 rebounds and five steals in a game during Houston’s 114—101 win over the San Antonio Spurs last week.
