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The Rockets lost All-Star center Alperen Sengun to a right ankle sprain in the opening minutes of Saturday’s 110-104 road loss (box score) to the Dallas Mavericks. Houston was already without veteran backup Steven Adams, who suffered his own right ankle sprain earlier this week.
Houston (21-11) had its four-game winning streak snapped and fell to No. 4 in the tightly packed Western Conference standings. The Mavs (13-23) remain in the No. 13 slot, with only two teams owning worse records.
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It was a cold-shooting night for the Rockets, who made just 10-of-41 shots (24.4%) from 3-point range. Between that and the absence of their top-two centers, even a 34-point, 7-assist game by Kevin Durant (53.8% FG) wasn’t enough to save them.
Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard had particularly tough nights, combining to score just 15 points on 5-of-23 shooting (21.7%).
For the hosts, Anthony Davis led the way with 26 points (60.0% FG), 12 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots.
Next up for the Rockets is a return home to face the Phoenix Suns (20-14), with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. Central on Monday night. The game will be televised regionally on Space City Home Network (SCHN) and nationally via NBA League Pass.
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It is not yet clear whether Sengun or Adams will be available for that game. Both injuries appear to be day to day in nature, as both big men were able to put weight on their right leg while limping to the locker room.
Adams could be more likely to return first, since his injury was suffered five days earlier.
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This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets (21-11) lose in Dallas as Alperen Sengun sprains right ankle
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