Alperen Şengün dominates in Rockets' win over Hawks. How he's making opponents pay this season

Fred VanVleet and Kevin Durant keep laughing when they see how opposing defenses guard the Houston Rockets. VanVleet said defenders are flying out to him and said three are sprinting out to Durant at any moment - all the while, leaving center Alperen Şengün with single coverage.

"They must have read a lot of bad articles this summer about him," Durant said. "So they feel like they can get a stop on him one-on-one. And we love that matchup, every time down."

The Rockets, back home at Toyota Center, turned to Şengün repeatedly in Monday night's matchup with the Atlanta Hawks. He responded by posting 29 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, six steals and a block as the Rockets won 120-110. 

Houston is now 4-0 and its center's strong start to the season is a major reason why. Şengün leads the team in scoring (24.5 points per game) and is tied for the team lead in rebounds (9 per game with Amen Thompson) and assists (7 per game with VanVleet).

Most impressive has been Şengün's insistence on getting to the rim and the resulting jump in his efficiency. He's shooting 58.1% from the field after going 11-for-15 against the Hawks, with most of those looks coming in the paint. 

"He's dominant," VanVleet said. "He's playing like the All-NBA caliber player that we know he is."

"I'm in the mode that I'm just gonna go to the rim every time," Şengün said.

Entering Monday, Şengün has taken 47% of his shots at the rim, per Cleaning the Glass. That number is higher than it was in each of the past two seasons and one that should get even higher after 13 of his field-goal attempts Monday came inside the paint. He's also converting on more of those opportunities.

Şengün has cut out a lot of his midrange shots, from 48% last season to 38% this season entering Monday's game, per Cleaning the Glass. He only took one midrange shot Monday and also has been getting to and converting at the foul line - he went 6-for-8 on free throws Monday and is on pace to make a career-high 76.9%.

"He's not settling for the long floater (or) hook shot as much," coach Ime Udoka said. "He forces his way down there. I think he has a nice bounce in his step. He looks really fresh and active right now."

Part of that is Şengün feeling healthy after a summer where he played fewer games with the Turkish national team and said he had a good diet. 

Part of that is his life getting a lot easier.

With VanVleet out for all of last season with a torn ACL, Şengün had to do so much - often bringing the ball up, isolating from the top of the key or posting up from near the corner - that sapped his energy and perhaps led to some of that settling. 

With his point guard back, Şengün has to do less and can redistribute his energy to excavating paths inside.

On the opening play of Monday's game, he screened for VanVleet, who hit him with a pocket pass. Şengün, attacking an unset defense with an advantage, found a cutting Thompson for an alley-oop.

Alperen Sengun short-roll lob to Amen Thompson. https://t.co/zzJ8jLamCT

- Rockets Clips (@Rockets_Clips) October 27, 2026

Later in the game, VanVleet found him again with a pocket pass. Şengün caught it inside the paint below the free throw line. After one dribble and a space-clearing shoulder into Hawks center Jock Landale, the Turkish star was already at the hoop in position to finish. 

Alperen Sengun PnR strong rolling layup, assisted by Fred VanVleet. https://t.co/uPydClVvg6

- Rockets Clips (@Rockets_Clips) October 27, 2026

VanVleet, asked about why Şengün is shooting more at the rim, joked: "I'm back … Make sure you tell him that. … He's talented enough to do it from halfcourt, but we can put him in positions where it makes it easier for him."

Şengün concurred.

"I'm the happiest guy Fred is back," he said.

Şengün also praised Houston's coaching staff - highlighting assistant coach Cam Hodges and video coordinators/player development coaches Orhun Gungoren and Walker Miller - for putting him in the right mental space. The entire summer, that trio had him working on "not giving up, fighting, dominating every time."

The next challenge for Şengün - one he acknowledged - is to do this for an entire season. If he can remain close to this efficiency, he could turn into the kind of central offensive engine that would raise his ceiling as a player and the Rockets' status as a contender.

ROCKETS 120, HAWKS 110

Percentages: FG .429, FT .714.

3-Point Goals: 11-39, .282 (McCollum 4-7, Wiggins 2-6, Alexander-Walker 2-7, Kispert 1-1, Okongwu 1-4, Johnson 1-5, Daniels 0-1, Flemings 0-1, Landale 0-2, Dort 0-5).

Team Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers: None.

Blocked Shots: 4 (Johnson 2, Landale, Okongwu).

Turnovers: 13 (Flemings 4, Johnson 4, Alexander-Walker 3, McCollum, Okongwu).

Steals: 10 (McCollum 3, Johnson 2, Okongwu 2, Alexander-Walker, Daniels, Wiggins).

Technical Fouls: None.

Percentages: FG .531, FT .813.

3-Point Goals: 8-27, .296 (Smith Jr. 2-6, Sheppard 2-7, Sengun 1-1, Bogdanovic 1-2, Eason 1-3, Durant 1-4, Crawford 0-1, VanVleet 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 1.

Blocked Shots: 9 (Durant 4, Eason 3, Sengun, Smith Jr.).

Turnovers: 21 (Sengun 6, Thompson 5, Durant 4, VanVleet 2, Eason, Sheppard, Smith Jr., Tate).

Steals: 11 (Sengun 6, Sheppard 2, Bogdanovic, Durant, Smith Jr.).

Technical Fouls: None.

A_18,055 (18,500). T_2:16.

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This article originally published at Alperen Şengün dominates in Rockets' win over Hawks. How he's making opponents pay this season.