Alperen Sengun Proving He Can Share The Heaviest Load For Rockets' Offense

Alperen Sengun showed off his skills during an afternoon battle with the Milwaukee Bucks, leading the Rockets to victory. He has shown early this season that he is capable of splitting the heaviest offensive workload as one of Houston's leaders.

Nov 9, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) flexes after making a basket in the final minute of the game at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets just secured their best win of the season, coming back to beat a Milwaukee Bucks team that had the first three quarters going their way. Houston beat a mostly healthy team with a likely MVP candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo playing at his best. Kevin Durant did a lot of the damage offensively, but the Rockets wouldn't have finished the comeback without the efforts of Alperen Sengun in the clutch.

Sengun proved he can lead the offense in critical moments. A highly viewed clip shows Sengun withstanding full-court pressure from Antetokounmpo before converting on an and-one opportunity in the paint.

This shows growth in several ways. For one, Sengun doesn't seem to be scared taking shots in the waning stages of games. He has proven that several times this year, especially the close games earlier in the season.

Second, Durant has no issue deferring to his All-Star big man to finish games out, even when Durant has the hot hand.

Sengun wouldn't have had the opportunity to lead the comeback in the fourth quarter without the efforts of Durant and Reed Sheppard. The shooting performance from both of those players kept the Rockets in the game until the end, and Durant allowed Sengun to play the closer role for the Rockets.

It won't always be that way; Durant and Sengun will both be asked to shoulder the offensive load in the clutch. However, Sengun has more than proven his capability as a finisher when games are close, even against high-caliber competition.

There were several other pieces that contributed to Houston having a chance at the end of the game as well. Jabari Smith Jr. and Steven Adams quietly had strong performances, scoring 16 and 12 points respectively.

That duo combined with Tari Eason to bring down 23 rebounds just themselves. Amen Thompson chipped in with eight rebounds of his own along with 14 points.

The Rockets had to survive a top-tier performance from the Bucks to win this game. Antetokounmpo finished with 37 points, and Myles Turner blocked away three shots and stole the ball three times. Many of Turner's plays came in critical moments or saved the Bucks from giving away easy buckets.

That speaks further to Sengun's capability, helping the Rockets win a game against a team that was giving Houston it's best shot.

The Rockets withstood Milwaukee's best through a strong performance of their own, led by Hall-of-Famer in Durant, and closed out by their All-Star big man in Sengun.