Rockets' Ime Udoka Shares Personal Motivation for Alperen Sengun

Houston Rockets big man Alperen Sengun has been putting the league on notice this season. It's quite possible that he could be headed to his first All-NBA bid.

Even more possible that he's headed towards his second All-Star campaign. Granted, it's typically easier the second (or third) time around than it is when a player hasn't been an All-Star ever before.

But Sengun has essentially had improvements in virtually every statistical category this season, to the tune of 22.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 50.3 percent from the field and an eye-popping 45.9 percent from long range.

Sengun has had four games this season in which he came eerily close to dropping a triple-double, and that'll likely continue to be the trend, considering how he's being used, as the focal point of the Rockets' offense.

Sengun's 2025-26 season has picked up exactly where his EuroBasket campaign ended, in which he averaged 21.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists, while putting his native Turkiye on his back.

Sengun faced off against Giannis Antetokounmpo's Greece and walked away with a 94-68 victory, limiting Antetokounmpo to 12 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

Sengun faced off against Antetokounmpo once more when the Rockets and Bucks faced off last week and nabbed yet another victory. This one was much closer, however.

In fact, Houston trailed 61-50 at the half and came back to secure a 122-115 victory. In that game, Sengun had 23 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists -- the latter two of which were team highs.

After the game, Rockets coach Ime Udoka noted that Sengun gets amped for games against Antetokounmpo (and other international superstars like Nikola Jokic).

"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 continued.

“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."

The Rockets face off against Jokic and the Nuggets on Friday and again on December 20th.

As for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, Houston won't see them again until April 1st.