UPDATE: Alperen Sengun has been ruled out Wednesday against the Clippers, as have Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Dillon Brooks.
The Houston Rockets are locked into the Western Conference’s two-seed ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Los Angeles for a meeting with the Clippers.
Houston may have their hands full for that game, though, especially if Alperen Sengun is unable to play. As things currently stand, the star center is questionable due to lower back soreness.
While it doesn’t sound like the ailment is serious, the Rockets likely want to play things safe where their All-Star’s health is concerned — especially as the playoffs approach. Sengun battled back spasms earlier in the season, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him sit out just in case.
With averages of 19.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season, Sengun’s production is a key cog in the Rockets’ ascension to their first playoff appearance since the 2019-2020 campaign. Notably, the Turkish big man ranks ninth among all qualifiers in both Player Impact Estimate and rebounds per game.
If Sengun doesn’t play against the Clippers on Wednesday, watch for Jabari Smith Jr. to potentially get the starting nod as a stretch five for the Rockets. If they elect to go with a more traditional center, Steven Adams is the natural pick to enter the starting five.
The Rockets are 52-27, good for the NBA’s third-best record and their first 50-win season since James Harden was still in Houston.
