Alperen Sengun delivered a dominant performance on Friday night, scoring 43 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to guide the Houston Rockets past the Utah Jazz.
The 125-118 victory in NBA Cup play marked the 11th consecutive loss for the struggling Jazz, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
Sengun was highly efficient throughout the contest, connecting on 17 of his 24 field goal attempts.
This performance represented the second 40-point game of the center’s career, trailing only his personal best of 45 points set against the San Antonio Spurs in 2024.
While the Rockets improved their season record to 10-3, they relied heavily on Sengun because teammate Kevin Durant struggled with his perimeter shooting.
Durant finished the game with 22 points, though he made only 5 of his 14 shots from the field.
The teams remained deadlocked at 27 points after the opening quarter, but Houston pulled ahead by halftime behind a nine-point second-quarter surge from Sengun.
Utah managed to narrow the gap in the second half, with Keyonte George scoring 10 of his 27 total points in the third quarter to bring the Jazz within three points.
Despite the pressure, Houston maintained its lead, and Durant eventually sealed the win by sinking a pair of free throws in the final seconds.
Darryn Peterson paced the Jazz with 28 points, while Ace Bailey contributed 21 points to the effort.
The Jazz have struggled significantly this season, with their lone victory occurring during their second game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Following the result, the Rockets moved to a 1-1 record in NBA Cup group-stage play with two games remaining on their schedule.
The Jazz are now looking toward their next challenge, as they are set to host the San Antonio Spurs this coming Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Rockets will prepare to face Washington on the road on Sunday, according to AP NBA coverage.