Spurred by snub, Rockets’ Alperen Sengun sets sights on Celtics

A sound argument can be made that Houston Rockets fifth-year center Alperen Sengun is having a better season this year compared to last, when he was named a Western Conference All-Star for the first time in his career.

Suffice to say, Sengun was disappointed this past weekend when he was not named a reserve for the All-Star Game on Feb. 15.

In the Rockets' first contest following the news, Sengun made his value known. He matched his season high of 39 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and dished out five assists in a 118-114 road victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

Houston, which will host the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, extended its road winning streak to three games behind Sengun, who carried the Rockets in the absence of Kevin Durant (ankle).

"It's my goal after last year to be an All-Star every year," said Sengun, 23. "It was disappointing for me, but it happens. We have a lot of talent in the league, and I'm still young.

"I'm going to make it (again) eventually. It's just going to make me just (work) hard, and I (still) have goals I'm going to make it. Stuff like this will always push me in a good way. I've just got to work harder, be disciplined in what I'm doing, and will have hopefully a lot of years in the NBA and a lot of All-Stars I will make."

Without Durant and his average of 26.2 points per game -- he is probable for Wednesday's game -- Sengun showed he's more than capable of shouldering a greater offensive load. Sengun is averaging career highs in points (21.4) and assists (6.3) this season in addition to 9.4 rebounds per game.

The depth of talent in the West annually will make All-Star roster selection challenging. That Sengun funneled his snub into something positive for the Rockets -- who have three straight wins overall -- hardly was a surprise.

"I'm sure he's going to have that (motivation) regardless," said Rockets coach Ime Udoka, formerly the Celtics' head coach. "He's motivated to make it, and when you don't make it, you have a little extra motivation as well.

"More so than anything, he's going to feel better and better with some rest and his ankle catching up to him. You can see a little pop back in his step, just like you did before he tweaked it again (last month), and understanding with 26 points missing, he had to step up and carry the load."

The Celtics, meanwhile, recorded their third consecutive victory by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 110-100 on Tuesday. They remained tied with the New York Knicks for second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Boston swung a significant trade before beating the Mavericks, acquiring center Nikola Vucevic from the Chicago Bulls for guard Anfernee Simons. Vucevic provides the Celtics a reliable interior scorer and a veteran capable of facilitating offense for a team that relies heavily upon perimeter shooting.

Paced by Jaylen Brown, the Eastern Conference Player of the Month, Boston welcomes Vucevic to a team renowned for its weaponry. His addition only deepens their scoring talent.

"All of our guys are a threat on offense," said Brown, who produced 33 points and 11 rebounds against the Mavericks. "You've got to pick and choose what you want to give up."