On night two of a challenging back-to-back in two different cities, third-year Rockets center Alperen Sengun delivered a career performance in Saturday’s thrilling 106-104 road victory (box score) over the Pelicans. Houston (15-12) and New Orleans (17-13) now enter a brief Christmas break, with both teams off until Tuesday, Dec. 26.
Sengun finished with a career-high 37 points on 11-of-21 shooting (52.4%) and 14-of-17 from the free-throw line (82.4%). He also grabbed 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Frontcourt mate Jabari Smith Jr. was excellent, as well, with 26 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 10-of-14 overall (71.4%) and 4-of-5 on 3-pointers (80.0%).
That was enough for the Rockets to survive a spirited effort by the rested and full-strength Pelicans, who were led by 28 points (68.8% FG), 8 rebounds, and 4 assists by rising star Zion Williamson. Houston’s defense, which had struggled at times in recent games, was elite down the stretch as the Rockets closed out an upset victory.
Here’s our look at Saturday’s highlights and postgame interviews, along with reaction by media members and fans. Next up for Houston is Tuesday’s game versus Indiana (14-13), which kicks off a seven-game homestand at Toyota Center. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. Central.
Dec. 23 Rockets-Pelicans reaction
FINAL: Rockets 106, Pelicans 104. Huge win. Sengun scores career-high 37 (hits 14-17 FT), Jabari drops in 26 — with each grabbing 11 boards — as Rockets stun Pels in New Orleans. No Jalen Green in the final 18 minutes of the game. pic.twitter.com/cYudZk3Z6a
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) December 24, 2023
Career-high 37 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists for Alperen Sengun. The kid is a godamn star.
— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) December 24, 2023
Tari Eason: "Alperen Sengun is an All-Star. I'm just letting everybody here know it. The Wizard is an All-Star. You heard it here first." pic.twitter.com/a3QfvtIBlX
— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) December 24, 2023
If you have any questions about whether or not the #Rockets defense is legit then watch the final minute of tonight’s game against the Pelicans. That was lockdown, in-your-grill toughness and tenacity.
— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) December 24, 2023
I don’t know if y’all are understanding what we are watching as the Pelicans are trying to solve this Sengun problem.. there’s not many players in the NBA that can cause any franchise on any given night to be scrambling their brains ..
— Apathetic (@ftank58) December 24, 2023
10 has arrived too‼️‼️😤
— Tari Eason (@TAR13ASON) December 24, 2023
Feels like at this point Jalen not playing the 4th isn’t him getting benched but rather that him being in the starting lineup is just Ime using him as an “opener”, to use a baseball analogy. That fifth closing spot is open audition.
— RedNinetyFour (@RedNinetyFour) December 24, 2023
What a win this is going to be. The resolve. The Grit. The superstar performance by Alperen Sengun. The incredible shooting by Jabari Smith.
This team is legit. On the 2nd night of a back to back.
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) December 24, 2023
What a win. pic.twitter.com/S4ObIvr0xl
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) December 24, 2023
Rockets defense has been missing but it came back in a big way tonight pic.twitter.com/s8xrcNaZbF
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) December 24, 2023
Jalen Green got subbed out with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and never checked back in. He missed the last 18 minutes of a nail-biter in a game where the #Rockets overcame a deficit and won in the final minute. This team has been playing better without him lately.
— Roosh (@RooshWilliams) December 24, 2023
Alperen Sengun over his last five:
23.4 PPG
10.2 RPG
5.0 APG
63% TSHe just keeps getting better.#Rockets pic.twitter.com/pxTdFXKMlm
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) December 24, 2023
The best thing that could’ve possibly happened to Houston last year is the draft day reversal by Orlando to take Pablo Banchero.
Both will end up being fabulous players, but Smith’s clean fit next to Sengun helped unlock the best possible version of the Rockets.
— Salman Ali (@SalmanAliNBA) December 24, 2023
What a win.
35-11-6 for Alpi – seems to be recharged.
26-11 for Jabari – continues to shoot well but more impressively continues to rebound well.
— StanfordKP (@stanfordkp) December 24, 2023
#Rockets defense is back with a vengeance, holding a #Pelicans team that scored 140+ points TWICE in the past week to just 104 in a two-point road win. @alperennsengun with a career-high 37…
— Adam Clanton (@adamclanton) December 24, 2023
The Defense down the stretch for the Rockets has been ELITE.
They have completely locked up Zion and Ingram down the stretch.
WHAT A WIN.
— Clutch City Entertainment (@ClutchCityENTX) December 24, 2023
Ime Udoka on Jabari Smith Jr. surging offensively: "You can tell he's very confident in (his shot), getting to his spots, using his size and length to rise up over guys. He puts in the work. He's done that since I've been around him all summer. It's only a matter of time that he…
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) December 24, 2023
Ime Udoka said Alperen Sengun was extra aggressive tonight: "We needed what he brought tonight. That's our team, every night it could be somebody different. Tonight it was his turn."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) December 24, 2023
Sengun tonight:
37 PTS
11 REB
6 AST25-point second half. https://t.co/TFCEe6nmlN
— StatMuse (@statmuse) December 24, 2023
Alperen Sengun went OFF in the Rockets W 🔥
37 PTS (career-high)
11 REB
6 AST pic.twitter.com/dbu942k3G4— NBA (@NBA) December 24, 2023
Alperen Sengun giving all the credit to Fred VanVleet in his postgame interview. Please listen to the actual players.
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) December 24, 2023
Jabari Smith Jr.’s last three games:
26 PTS, 11 REB, 10/14 FG, 4/5 3PT
21 PTS, 8 REB, 8/13 FG, 1/3 3PT
34 PTS, 13 REB, 8/14 FG, 4/7 3PT27.0 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 78.4% TS#Rockets pic.twitter.com/xqiSJrVV4a
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) December 24, 2023
His second half was ridiculous. Sengun’s footwork is somehow going up a level. https://t.co/iJeNeSqxOL
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) December 24, 2023
I know Jalen being benched by Ime Udoka from the 5:54 mark of the 3rd will be a talking point, but he said he would do this when he took the job. You know who else has been benched in the 4th this year? Alperen Sengun–who had a career-high 37 tonight. Ime don't care. #Rockets
— Adam Clanton (@adamclanton) December 24, 2023
#Rockets beat the Pelicans 106-104
Alperen Sengun a career high 37 points@alperennsengun with our @SportsVanessa after the WIN … with a special appearance from Tari EasonAnd we agree @TAR13ASON … ALPI IS AN @NBA ALL-STAR
VOTE https://t.co/nvq4jOgNjF pic.twitter.com/ULMKFnq7Ub
— Space City Home Network (@SpaceCityHN) December 24, 2023
