‘Not backing down’: Alperen Sengun battles as Rockets fall to Anthony Davis, Lakers
After losing to the Rockets in Houston last month, the full-strength Lakers got some revenge in Sunday’s 134-109 blowout (box score) at Toyota Center. This time, superstars Anthony Davis (40 points, 75% FG, 9 rebounds) and LeBron James (18 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds) were available, and each made a major impact as Los Angeles (40-38) got a much-needed victory in the 2023 playoff race.
The Rockets were led by young guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., but each was decidedly less efficient relative to Friday’s victory over Detroit. Green had 24 points and 7 assists on 7-of-21 shooting (33.3%), while Porter had 20 points on 7-of-16 shooting (43.8%) — though he did make 6-of-10 from 3-point range (60.0%).
Second-year big man Alperen Sengun stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks on 9-of-17 shooting (52.9%), while rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. had an efficient 14 points and 6 rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers (50.0%).
“I’ve challenged him this season, when it comes to the defensive end, and he’s responded,” head coach Stephen Silas said of Sengun. “I’m happy for him. He’s supremely confident, and he’s going to be a really good player in this league. For him to be that, it has to be on both ends of the floor. He’s not backing down. He’s trying really hard. He’s really rebounding the ball. He’s trying to do all the coverages.”
“Tonight was a really tough matchup, but he didn’t back down from it, not one bit,” Silas concluded, as relayed by Lachard Binkley of SB Nation’s The Dream Shake blog. “I love that.”
Scroll on for highlights, postgame interviews with players and head coach Stephen Silas, and reaction by Houston fans and media members after Sunday’s loss to the Lakers. The Rockets close out their 2022-23 home schedule with Tuesday’s Toyota Center season finale versus Denver, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Central.
Highlights
Analysis and Interviews
LeBron James had his second triple-double of the season against the Rockets. He's the first player in NBA history with multiple triple-doubles at age 38 or older.
Everyone else in NBA history has done it three times combined at that age. pic.twitter.com/H6iPfXnG9r
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 3, 2023
Spurs won in Sacramento tonight, so they are at 20 wins with 3 games to play while the Rockets will remain at 19 after tonight's 134-109 loss to the Lakers
— Adam Spolane (@AdamSpolane) April 3, 2023
Anthony Davis is showing what it is like to have a superstar on your team. 40 points on 15-20 shooting
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) April 3, 2023
#Rockets “magic number” to clinch a floor of the 6th pick is THREE (any combination of HOU losses and SAS wins).
— David Weiner (@BimaThug) April 3, 2023
#Rockets highlight of the game provided by Alperen Sengun@alperennsengun vs LAL
🏀18 PTS🏀15 REB🏀5 AST🏀3 BLK🏀2 STL🏀@HoustonRockets on AT&T SportsNet pic.twitter.com/g5UJlsyg2o— AT&T SportsNet™ | SW (@ATTSportsNetSW) April 3, 2023
Lakers have been shooting lights out all game, Rockets defense hasn't been good by any means, but even the contested shots are going in for LA
— Abel (@AbelGe87) April 3, 2023
The Rockets are going to have to be much better in transition next year.
Just don't do stupid stuff, mainly. Don't force lobs, don't all go to the rim, don't hog the ball when your teammate is ahead.
Simple stuff they've somehow failed this year.
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) April 3, 2023
Kevin and Alpi may still not be a perfect pairing and they certainly had their bumps, but they've really come a long way and have finally found some chemistry with one another
— Abel (@AbelGe87) April 3, 2023
The Rockets did not come to play in the 2nd half.
Green had 24, Porter 6 threes, Sengun 18/15/5. AD and Hachimura combined for 60 and barely missed.
The Spurs won, though, which is great news.
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) April 3, 2023
I'm not any lower on Tari after this ROUGH stretch, but it has exposed some of the low bball IQ that he does have and it is something that he really needs to work on, his decision making with the ball (primarily around the rim) has been incredibly bad 😬
— Abel (@AbelGe87) April 3, 2023
Jalen has been blocked like 7 times tonight
Wtf man…
— Paulo Alves (@PauloAlvesNBA) April 3, 2023
I asked Coach Silas about Alperen Sengun and how he doesn’t back down regardless of the competition
“Tonight was a really tough matchup but and he didn’t back down from it not one bit and I love that” pic.twitter.com/CFcB6Z1Rep— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) April 3, 2023
FINAL: Lakers 134, Rockets 109
40 points for Anthony Davis. LeBron James records his 107th career triple-double, now tied with Jason Kidd for the 3rd most all-time.
Rockets home finale on Tuesday night.
— Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) April 3, 2023
