SENGUN SHINES!
Sengun records triple-double in Rockets rout of Bulls
Nov 18, 2024, 10:12 am
Rockets defeat the Bulls, 143-107. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.
Fred VanVleet scored a season-high 28 points, Alperen Sengun had 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his second triple-double this season and the Houston Rockets routed the Chicago Bulls 143-107 on Sunday night for their fifth straight win.
Jalen Green scored 18 points as all five Houston starters reached double figures, and the Rockets topped their previous season-high in points (128). Amen Thompson played despite right quad soreness and added 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
The Rockets dominated in the paint at both ends and pulled in 66 rebounds to Chicago's 47.
Zach LaVine led Chicago with 15 points, and Talen Horton-Tucker scored 12 off the bench as the Bulls dropped their second straight and third in four.
After a sluggish start, the Rockets came on to shoot 52.4% (55 of 105) from the floor.
Takeaways
Rockets: Houston, which entered Sunday leading the NBA with 49.5 rebounds per game, improved to 8-2 when outrebounding an opponent.
Bulls: Chicago had no answer for Houston's dominance in the paint and shot 33.6% (36 of 107). The 143 points were the most Chicago ever allowed to Houston.
Key moment
LaVine's free throws tied it at 36 4:06 into the second quarter. Led by VanVleet and Sengun, Houston outscored Chicago 32-16 to take a 68-52 halftime lead. The Rockets started the third with an 11-0 run and blew it open to 108-78 after 36 minutes.
Key stat
The Rockets set a season-high for points in a quarter when they outscored Chicago 41-26 in the second. They followed up by by scoring 40 in the third.
Up next
The Rockets play at Milwaukee on Monday, the same day the Bulls face the Pistons in Detroit.
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.