Alperen Sengun came up clutch for the Rockets as they beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks 122-115 tonight in a comeback win down the stretch.
Following the game, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka spoke to the media at the press conference about Alperen Sengun’s matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo, especially in the clutch moments, given their history from EuroBasket this year.
“Yeah, I mean, I think you know, there’s a pride over there in those competitions that they’ve seen each other for a lot of years. I mean, Alpi tries to go after everybody every night, and you know, so I don’t think that’s anything out of the ordinary for him.”
“But the fact that they have familiarity with each other and have played each other quite a bit, I think uh anytime you see the matchups with Doncic and those guys, it’s a little more extra to it,” Udoka further explained.
“At the same time, they’re just two of the best players on every team going at it. And so he takes pride in that. Wanted to guard him down the stretch and did a good job on both ends,” said Udoka in conclusion.
While Udoka highlighted how Sengun prides himself in going up against the best players of the opposing teams on a nightly basis, he pointed out how familiarity breeds additional competition for Sengun, especially when he goes up against Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and other major European players.
Sengun finished the game with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, while shooting 66.7 from the field (10-of-15). Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 37 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
The Turkish All-Star was put in a position to make the clutch plays of the game after the steady scoring from Kevin Durant (31 points) and spurts of turning defense into offense for Reed Sheppard (16 points, four steals, 4-of-6 from threes), which helped the Rockets stay in the game after losing the lead in the first quarter. A 22-7 stretch in the final five minutes of the game sealed the victory for Houston.
Subsequently, Sengun was asked about the comments from Udoka and whether there was any substance to them. While Sengun did not categorically deny, he pointed towards the sheer coincidence of the best players on opposing teams being European and him not really being focused on the individual matchups.
“Last couple of years, I got my motivation in every game now. So I want to win every game, I want to be a winning player. I don’t care who’s on the other team.”
“But if you play a good team, you know, I’ve got to be more motivated myself, that’s just how it goes. I don’t go every player-by-game,” concluded Sengun.
Sengun has been compared to Jokic only multiple occasions, and he admits that he has used several ways to gain his motivation over the years. But clearly, Sengun chose the respectful route instead of making things sour between him and his European colleagues.
Following tonight’s win against the Bucks, Sengun has four wins and four losses against Giannis Antetokounmpo. Meanwhile, Sengun had four wins and six losses against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in his career.
However, the most shockingly one-sided matchup is his record against European players is the one with Luka Doncic. Sengun has only one win compared to seven losses against Doncic over his career with the Mavericks and Lakers.
While Sengun may have become one of the top five European players in the NBA at the moment, he is still a fair distance behind these three superstars. Considering that he is making progress in consistent leaps, do you think he can become the best European player in the league eventually? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
