HOUSTON — The Rockets opened a two-game homestand with a 108-99 (total score) victory over the Grizzlies on Monday. Although the home team fell behind by 10 points midway through the third quarter, Houston outscored Memphis by nearly 20 points throughout the game.
All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who shot 49.2 percent from the field through the first eight games after suffering an ankle sprain in early January, finished with 33 points and nine rebounds on 15-for-17 shooting (88.2 percent).
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Sengun also dished out six assists, including two assists on a 3-pointer by All-Star teammate Kevin Durant (33 points) in the final minutes.
“The swelling is almost gone,” Sengun said of his health, via Michael Shapiro of Chron.com. “I didn’t feel that big of a leap of faith before. [off] feet, but now I’m starting to feel better. “
Amen Thompson finished with eight points, eight rebounds and a career-high 14 assists, while Tari Eason scored 17 points on 4-for-8 three-point shooting (50.0%).
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored a team-high 17 points (shooting 47.1%) and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Memphis (18-26) remains in 11th place in the Western Conference standings, just shy of a playoff spot, while Houston (28-16) currently holds the No. 4 seed.
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Overall, the Rockets have won five of their past six games.
The Rockets’ next game is Wednesday’s home finale against the San Antonio Spurs, an in-state rival currently ranked second in the Western Conference standings (31-15). The game will begin at 8:30 PM Central Time and will be televised regionally on the Space City Home Network and broadcast to a national audience on ESPN.
The Rockets are 16-3 at Toyota Center this season.
More: After strong week, Rockets surge to No. 3 in NBA Power Rankings
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Alperen Sengun’s elite efficiency drops by 33 as Rockets beat Grizzlies