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After spraining his right ankle on Saturday, Jan. 3 in Dallas, All-Star center Alperen Sengun made his return to the Rockets in Sunday’s road game at Sacramento (box score).
Initial expectations were for Sengun to miss approximately two weeks, but he returned to Houston’s starting lineup in just eight days. With the Rockets (22-13) coming off consecutive losses in Portland, that perhaps added to the sense of urgency.
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Sengun averaging 21.8 points (51.2% FG), 9.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game this season, with the latter three tops among all Houston players.
The Rockets are 4-9 (.308) in the 13 games that Sengun has missed the past two seasons. When he plays, Houston is 70-34 (.673). By win pace over a standard 82-game NBA regular season, that’s the difference between a 25-57 team and a 55-27 team.
Unfortunately for the Rockets, Tari Eason suffered his own right ankle sprain in Friday’s loss to the Trail Blazers, and he’s now beginning his own absence.
Prior to Sunday’s game against the Kings, head coach Ime Udoka referred to Eason’s timeline as game to game, adding that his sprain is “nothing terrible.” Via Vanessa Richardson of Space City Home Network, Udoka said the Rockets got “good news” from Eason’s MRI.
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Among qualified players, Eason ranks No. 1 in the NBA in 3-point accuracy (46.9%) this season. With Eason unavailable, Udoka and the Rockets opted to start Aaron Holiday alongside the four established starters of Sengun, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson.
After Sunday, Houston’s next game comes Tuesday at home versus the Chicago Bulls (18-20).
More: Tari Eason sprains right ankle in Houston’s second loss at Portland
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets ankle injuries: Alperen Sengun returns, Tari Eason day to day
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