Sengun's Triple-Double Torches Boston, Rockets Roll 109-93
Alperen Sengun posted 26 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds to lead Houston past Boston 109-93 on November 3rd. The Rockets never trailed by more than they led, and by the time the third quarter was done, this one was over.
Houston came out with a purpose from the opening tip. Kevin Durant knocked in a 13-footer off a Sengun feed just 69 seconds in, Fred VanVleet buried a 28-footer, and Amen Thompson added an alley-oop dunk and a driving layup to push the Rockets to an 13-6 lead before Boston could find its footing. The Celtics kept clawing — Baylor Scheierman hit a 27-footer, Hugo Gonzalez threw down a running dunk, and Luka Garza drained back-to-back threes in the final minute of the first quarter to pull Boston all the way to 27-27. Jayson Tatum converted two free throws with 1.6 seconds left, and the quarter ended knotted at 29. It looked, briefly, like a game.
It wasn't. Sengun took over in the second quarter, scoring and distributing at will — a driving layup, a dunk, a Jabari Smith Jr. three off his feed — and Houston rebuilt a double-digit cushion. By the time Tari Eason hit a 23-footer to make it 45-37 heading into halftime, Boston's late first-quarter surge felt like a footnote. The Celtics were without Clint Capela, who was listed as a DNP, and Steven Adams was also out. The frontcourt depth simply wasn't there to match Houston's physicality, and it showed in the paint all night.
The dagger came in the third quarter. With Houston's win probability already sitting at 68%, Jabari Smith Jr. — who finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds — drained a 25-foot running jumper off a Fred VanVleet assist at the 7:28 mark. The home win probability swung from 68% to 74% on that single shot, and Boston never seriously threatened again. Tatum finished with 19 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds — a solid line that looks like a losing effort because it was. Neemias Queta added 16 points and Garza chipped in 14, but the Celtics shot themselves out of this game in the second quarter and never recovered. The story of the night was Sengun: 26-7-10 with 2 steals and 2 blocks is a performance that looks like a statement, and Houston appears to be exactly as dangerous as advertised. Final: HOU 109, BOS 93.