Nikola Jokic Feels Rockets Should Run Offense through Alperen Sengun
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HOUSTON — Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun faced off for the second time on an NBA stage and the two-time league MVP winner put on a show against the player who idolizes him.
Jokic finished Monday night's contest with 32 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, as the Houston Rockets fell to the Denver Nuggets 129-113 inside Ball Arena. Sengun's performance left an impression on Jokic, who believes the Rockets should run more of their offense through the second-year big man.
"I think they need to play a little bit more through him," Jokic said. "This guy has the talent. He can pass the ball. He can post up. He has the touch around the rim. You can see some different moves that he’s made."
Jokic said there were times the Rockets' offense became stagnant, given the number of 3-pointers the team attempted. His evaluation aligned with coach Stephen Silas' assessment when determining what caused a second-half collapse for Houston.
After trailing 70-68 at halftime, the Nuggets outscored the Rockets 36-23 during the third quarter. The Rockets registered nine assists during the second half after recording 19 through the first two quarters.
"We did not move the ball in the second half the way we did in the first half," Silas said. "During the first quarter, we were doing a great job moving the ball for shot quality. I do not think our shot quality and ball movement wasn't as good in the second half."
Sengun finished the game with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting, seven rebounds and three assists.
His playmaking helped the Rockets take a 118-105 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday night. Sengun finished with 21 points, a career-best 19 rebounds and seven assists.
Sengun and the Rockets will have a chance to split their two-game mini-series against the Nuggets Wednesday night to continue their four-game road trip.
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