No Kevin Durant, no problem, at least for one night. With their superstar sidelined by an ankle injury, the Rockets had no choice but to manufacture offense by committee. The ball moved more, the pace fluctuated, and the burden shifted squarely onto Alperen Sengun’s shoulders. Houston didn’t look polished the whole way, but they played with an edge that suggested nobody in that locker room was interested in using injuries as an excuse.
And if you believe in grudges, Sengun gave you plenty of evidence. Pascal Siakam got the All-Star nod over him, and whether or not that was bulletin-board material, Sengun played like a man with something to prove. He didn’t just put up numbers; he imposed himself on the game, attacking Indiana’s interior over and over until the Pacers simply ran out of answers.
Alperen Sengun: A+
Game Stats: 39 PTS, 16 REB, 5 AST, 5 TOV, 13-25 FG, 0-2 3-PT FG, 13-18 FT, 35 MIN
This was one of those nights where every possession felt like it ran through him – because it did. Sengun bullied his way to a deep post position, used fakes that had defenders leaning the wrong direction, and absorbed contact like it was part of the plan. Indiana tried single coverage, then help, then quick doubles. Nothing really slowed him down.
What stood out most was how composed he stayed while being the center of attention. The turnovers came from the sheer volume of touches and pressure, but Houston will live with that when it comes packaged with this level of production. This looked like a franchise cornerstone performance.
Amen Thompson: A-
Game Stats: 16 PTS, 11 REB, 7 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 5 TOV, 6-15 FG, 0-0 3-PT FG, 4-5 FT, 39 MIN
Amen Thompson played like a Swiss Army knife with sneakers. One trip, he was ripping down a defensive board in traffic, the next, he was pushing the break and finding a cutter in stride. His athleticism popped all night, especially on defensive recoveries that erased what looked like easy Indiana buckets.
He’s still ironing out the decision-making, and the turnovers show that, but the all-around impact was undeniable. Houston needed someone to bring chaos in a good way, and Thompson did exactly that.
Jabari Smith Jr.: A-
Game Stats: 19 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TOV, 6-12 FG, 3-6 3-PT FG, 4-4 FT, 35 MIN
In this game, Jabari Smith Jr. was spectacular. He picked his spots beautifully. He punished the Pacers whenever they overlooked him. The catch-and-shoot threes were clean, and he mixed in a couple of strong takes when defenders closed out too hard.
Using his length on the other side, he interrupted some attempts and shifted some matchups. It wasn’t showy, but it was the kind of consistent two-way effort that coaches appreciate.
Tari Eason: B+
Game Stats: 9 PTS, 10 REB, 1 BLK, 3-7 FG, 1-2 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 34 MIN
Eason was a gluer. He scuffled on the boards on both ends, which was a huge help to Houston in winning the possession battles. He scored his points within the rhythm of the game, which was not through designed plays, but rather from his relentless activity, and he played more than a cohesive team.
Even though he was not heavily featured offensively, his rebounding and tenacious defense were instrumental in Indiana having single-shot attempts on multiple important possessions.
Jae’Sean Tate: B+
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 3 REB, 4-4 FG, 14 MIN
Tate provided Houston with a monster spark in a limited time. He scored with great efficiency, and played without the ball the way he cuts, and then brought his physical defense. That +17 plus/minus shows how most of the team struggled without him, and how dominant the team was with him.
He wasn’t standing on the sideline waiting for a play to be called for him. When there were seams in the defense, he seized them, and he gave the team second possessions with his effort.
Clint Capela: B
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 1-5 FG, 2-2 FT, 11 MIN
Capela did not score, but his presence made a difference. He controlled the defensive rebounds while providing rim protection. This allowed the Rockets to stay big and not have to bring Sengun back.
Some of the shots he missed looked to be a result of traffic, but his defensive rebounding and interior defense helped the Rockets keep their physicality.
Aaron Holiday: B-
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 1 STL, 2-4 FG, 2-4 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 17 MIN
Holiday came off the bench and provided immediate offensive help. He made 2 three-pointers. He played with control, which helped the Rockets avoid a turnover. He spaced the floor, which helped the Rockets offensively.
With Durant not being able to create his own shots, the points he provided the Rockets off the bench were important.
Reed Sheppard: B-
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TOV, 4-13 FG, 1-7 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 25 MIN
Sheppard was not able to score most of the shots he fired off from deep. He was still able to be constructive by distributing the ball, making more than one decision, and playing good defense. He was able to jump passing lanes and block shots of bigger players at the rim.
Despite some shooting struggles, he had great awareness of the game. Houston can be okay with the shooting misses since he offers ample spacing and secondary playmaking.
Dorian Finney-Smith: C+
Game Stats: 4 PTS, 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3-PT FG, 2-2 FT, 17 MIN
Finney-Smith’s offensive contribution was limited, but he was valuable on the defensive end. He had some challenging defensive assignments on the perimeter, and he was good with the defensive rotations. He was offensively very conservative and did not try to do too much.
Even if the stat line is not very impressive, Houston was able to do some different things with him on the floor.
Josh Okogie: C
Game Stats: 0 PTS, 12 MIN
Okogie’s impact was mostly on the defensive end, but he was unable to make a significant imprint on the game. He played with a lot of effort and was extremely competitive, but Houston needed more from a two-way production standpoint from that position.
