Tonight, the Houston Rockets ended up falling to their cross-state rival, the Dallas Mavericks, 104-110, but one key presence wasn’t on the floor for most of the game. Young star center Alperen Sengun exited tonight’s contest with an early injury. Here’s what happened.

Why did Alperen Sengun leave the game? What injury did he suffer?

Less than a minute into the game, Sengun was going up for a rebound against Mavericks center Daniel Gafford, but ended up landing on the latter’s foot and turning his right ankle. He was seen in visible pain immediately afterward and made his way to the Rockets bench, eventually heading to the locker room.

The Rockets initially listed him as questionable to return, then downgraded him to out at halftime.

For now, the most likely course of action will be imaging to assess the severity of the setback.

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The ankle Sengun injured tonight is the same one that derailed his breakout 2023-24 season, causing him to miss the last 18 games that season, something that would’ve helped the 41-41 Rockets make a playoff push. The young star had suffered a Grade 3 sprain.

How did Alperen Sengun perform before leaving?

Sengun was unable to produce much in his 64 seconds on the court, finishing with just one rebound and no shot attempts. Sengun was having a career season, which made his early exit all the more disappointing.

Before tonight’s game, he averaged 22.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, along with 1.5 steals and a block. These are impressive numbers, and almost guarantee him an All-NBA spot, but his injury status puts that accolade in jeopardy.

How did the Houston Rockets adjust without Sengun?

In Sengun’s absence, the team relied heavily upon third-string center Clint Capela, since Steven Adams is also sidelined with an injury. Capela logged just under 27 minutes of time, putting up eight points, eight rebounds, two assists, and stood out on defense, logging five steals and two blocks.

However, for long stretches, the team played without a traditional center, opting for lineups featuring Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, and one of Dorian Finney-Smith, Reed Sheppard, or Aaron Holiday.

Anthony Davis was the focal point for the home team, owning the paint with 26 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks, and he dominated an undersized Rockets team. One pivotal fourth-quarter sequence involved him blocking Eason at the rim, pushing the ball in transition, and finding Klay Thompson for a transition three. Max Christie logged one of the most efficient nights in his career, shooting 10 of 13 from the field for 24 points to keep his team in control.

The visitors made a late push behind Durant’s 34 points and seven assists, trimming it to five in the final minute, but Christie slammed the door shut.

The Mavericks’ bench outscored the Rockets 41-24, with Brandon Williams and Ryan Nembhard stepping up, taking a 66-54 paint scoring edge to snap a four-game skid and derail the Rockets’ recently found momentum.