Alperen Sengun fell three assists shy of a triple-double, but his all-around play helped the Houston Rockets withstand a late Cleveland Cavaliers uprising to notch their fifth straight win.
Alperen Sengun made it clear that Houston’s lone regular-season trip to Cleveland would be a triumphant one.
The Rockets’ big man delivered an all-around performance of 28 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists to help Houston fend off Donovan Mitchell’s fourth-quarter surge and the Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-104, on Thursday, November 20 (PH time).
Kevin Durant added 20 markers, while Aaron Holiday contributed 14 of his 18 points in the second half as the Rockets extended their winning streak over the Cavs to four games.
The Rockets raced to a 22-point lead early in the third quarter at 69-47 after a basket by Jabari Smith Jr.
Cleveland, though, responded with a 23-5 run, cutting the deficit to 74-70 by the end of the period, and Donovan Mitchell’s jumper early in the fourth brought the them to within three at 88-85 with 6:44 remaining.
But Houston regained control, stretching the lead back to double digits at 105-94 with under four minutes left and never looked back.
The victory improved the Rockets to 10-3, tying them with the Denver Nuggets for second place in the West.
De’Andre Hunter led the Cavaliers with 25 points, while Donovan Mitchell, held to just two points through the first three quarters, erupted for 19 in the fourth to finish with 21.
The loss dropped the Cavs to 10-6, as the Toronto Raptors overtook them for second place in the East with a 10-5 record.
Houston now eyes a sixth straight win in a marquee matchup against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets (10-3), while Cleveland looks to bounce back against the struggling Indiana Pacers (1-13).
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.