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Alperen Sengun · Often seen somewhere in the paint, clocking in for clean-up duty on any mistake or misfire the Houston Rockets sent towards the rim, Alperen Şengün confirmed again that, amidst traffic, he could get quite filthy, too. Approximately a possession or two away from officially escaping the L.A. Clippers, Şengün supplies both over a 10-second sequence, first by instinctively ripping through on a seemingly-innocent dribble handoff, parlaying Kobe Brown’s lax defense into a ferocious one-handed facial. Accepting guidance from a teammate after his post-dunk momentum leaves him grounded, Şengün rises once more, showcasing his motor by sprinting back on defense to deliver a skyscraper-like swat of Jordan Miller’s layup, igniting Toyota Center’s crowd. Şengün’s two-play statement joined an extensive list of game-changers throughout, as the Turkish big — among six players in double-figures — recorded 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, one steal, four blocks, and one 3-pointer. Houston rode that momentum to win No. 3 of a soon-to-be five-game winning streak on November 13, 2024. · State of Mint