NBA: Rockets hope return of Alperen Sengun spurs success vs. Clippers

The NBA Cup scheduling break gave the Houston Rockets a welcome pause and a chance for early-season reflection.

Houston hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday after a four-day hiatus following a 122-109 road loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. That defeat, coming on the second night of a back-to-back, marked the second straight game without center Alperen Sengun, who is set to return after being sidelined with an illness.

Despite dealing with injuries that have affected their rotation early in the season, the Rockets are currently fourth in the Western Conference. Their strong start is fueled by both a top-five offense and defense and demonstrates their growing cohesion after acquiring future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant in the offseason.

“I think we've been good. We want to be great,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “You look at the record overall, and there are some positives there, but we also feel like we've let some slip away, and are trying to find the areas we've grown or had some slippage in. Overall good, but we're trying to be better than good.

“For the most part, when your plus/minus (+10.8 net rating) is where we're at, and offensively and defensively where we're at, we'll take some good strides, especially with Kevin being integrated. But we understand there's a whole other level we can get to.”

Reaching that “next level” has become a key focus for Houston. The team expects to welcome back Tari Eason (oblique) and Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle), who has yet to play this season, in the coming weeks. Their return will strengthen an already effective rotation, which has been stretched thin by injuries.

“This year, everybody knows their role,” Sengun said. “Nobody is trying to do anything extra. Everybody knows what to do.

“The only thing with this team is winning. No matter who's playing good or bad, it doesn't matter. It's just about the winning end of the night, and that's what we're trying to build here. That's what we're working on.”

The Clippers, meanwhile, have struggled defensively this season. After dropping seven of their last eight games, they rank 25th in the NBA in defensive rating, giving up 118 points per 100 possessions during the slump. They have allowed fewer than 100 points only twice this season, including a 115-92 road win over the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 3.

“Just getting off to better starts, to start the game defensively and not easing our way into it, we've got to be better with that,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said earlier this season. “Just attacking the game with a defensive mindset. We've got to figure out a way to fix that and correct that.”

The Clippers are 1-3 on their current five-game road trip, which concludes in Houston. After routing Atlanta, they lost both ends of a back-to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies last Friday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

With Sengun’s return and a healthy roster on the horizon, the Rockets are looking to capitalize on their early success and continue their climb in the Western Conference. -Field Level Media/Reuters