Tonight, the Dallas Mavericks take on the Houston Rockets, both teams on the second night of a back-to-back, but there’s one key piece missing from this battle between the division rivals. As the Rockets roll into American Airlines Center, star center Alperen Sengun will be sitting out of tonight’s game.

The Turkish phenom was ruled ‘questionable’ earlier today, but has been downgraded a few hours ahead of tipoff. Sengun also missed the team’s previous game against the Phoenix Suns, with Steven Adams starting in his place.

Today, however, the team faces a much bigger injury report. Adams is also joining Sengun on the bench tonight, sitting with an ankle injury. Apart from the big men, the team will also miss wings Dorian Finney-Smith and Tari Eason, who have been forced to sit for extended periods due to an ankle and oblique injury each, but are trending towards a return soon.

Sengun has been having a career season this year, with career-high averages in points (23.1) as well as assists (7.1), taking on a majority of the playmaking duties in Fred VanVleet’s absence due to the offseason ACL tear. Despite the Rockets not having a traditional point guard, the team has been a top 3 offense in the league, and Sengun’s leap in playmaking and long-range shooting.

The Mavericks aren’t faring too well either. The team is missing both Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively, leaving the team without their two best centers. In their place, Anthony Davis is being forced back to center, and the team is likely to roll out a smaller lineup. The team is also missing sharpshooter Klay Thompson.

Starting Lineups for Mavericks-Rockets Without Alperen Sengun

With injuries to Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams, the Rockets are starting Amen Thompson and reserve Josh Okogie at the guard spots, Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr. at forward, and reserve Clint Capela at the five. The team’s depth is heavily depleted, and little-used veteran Jeff Green is expected to get significant playing time tonight alongside Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday.

The Dallas Mavericks are starting undrafted standout Ryan Nembhard at guard alongside Naji Marshall, with Cooper Flagg and PJ Washington at forward and Anthony Davis starting at center. The team has won three of their last four games, but Anthony Davis is already nursing a finger injury as well as a hard knee hit suffered during the Mavs’ previous game against the OKC Thunder.

Davis was held to 1-9 shooting against the Thunder, but the team has been has been encouraging as of late, especially with Nembhard’s emergence. The guard had 28 points and 10 assists against the Denver Nuggets, and 15 points and 13 assists against the Miami Heat. Flagg has also turned it around after a slow start, including 35 points, 24 points, and 22 points in consecutive games against the LA Clippers, Nuggets, and Heat.

Now, with Houston’s frontcourt cut short with Sengun missing time, only time will tell how the matchup between these two teams will shape up.

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