Alperen Şengün imposed himself early and relentlessly, matching the Los Angeles Lakers’ entire starting lineup on the glass as the Houston Rockets powered to a 119-96 victory on Christmas Day, a commanding road win that highlighted Houston’s growing force in the Western Conference.
Şengün finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and a steal in 31 minutes, anchoring a Rockets frontcourt that dictated the game’s physical terms from start to finish. Houston dominated the boards 48-25, a margin that told the story as clearly as the final score.
Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 26 points on 12-of-19 shooting, adding seven rebounds and five assists while posting a game-best plus-26.
Kevin Durant contributed 25 points and eight assists, blending scoring and playmaking as Houston placed six players in double figures. Jabari Smith Jr. added 16 points and seven rebounds, Tari Eason delivered 13 points with four steals and two blocks and rookie Reed Sheppard chipped in 13 as the Rockets improved to 18-10 and snapped a brief skid.
The Lakers, now on a three-game losing streak, never recovered from Houston’s interior dominance.
Luka Doncic scored 25 points and handed out seven assists but committed six turnovers, while LeBron James finished with 18 points and five assists and struggled from long range.
Together, the two stars accounted for nine of Los Angeles’ 16 turnovers. Austin Reaves scored 12 points and Deandre Ayton added 10, but the rebounding gap proved decisive.
Elsewhere on the Christmas slate, the San Antonio Spurs continued their mastery over the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 117-102 road win, their third victory against Oklahoma City in two weeks and the Thunder’s first home loss of the season.
De’Aaron Fox led San Antonio with 29 points as the Spurs extended their winning streak to eight and improved to 23-7.
Victor Wembanyama delivered 19 points and 11 rebounds in just 26 minutes, while rookie Stephon Castle added 19 points and seven assists on efficient shooting.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points for Oklahoma City, with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren posting double-doubles, but the Thunder shot just 38.6 percent and struggled to generate rhythm.
The night’s most memorable performance belonged to Nikola Jokic, who authored a Christmas Day classic by carrying the Denver Nuggets past the Minnesota Timberwolves 142-138 in overtime.
Jokic erupted for 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists, recording his 179th career triple-double and scoring an NBA-record 18 points in overtime alone.
Only Bernard King and Wilt Chamberlain have scored more points in a Christmas Day game.
Jamal Murray added 35 points for Denver, while Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed 19 as the Nuggets improved to 3-0 against Minnesota this season despite missing several rotation players.
Anthony Edwards scored 44 points for the Timberwolves and hit a twisting three-pointer to force overtime but was ejected in the extra period after two technical fouls. Julius Randle added 32 points in the loss.
New York edged Cleveland 126-124 after rallying from a 17-point deficit, Golden State defeated Dallas 126-116, Houston rolled past Los Angeles, San Antonio handled Oklahoma City and Denver outlasted Minnesota in overtime, closing a Christmas Day slate that underscored emerging contenders, superstar influence and Şengün’s growing imprint on the NBA’s biggest stage.
