With Turkish sensation Alperen Şengün leading the charge, the Houston Rockets muscled past the Golden State Warriors 106-96 on Sunday night, snapping an eight-year road drought at Chase Center and planting a bold flag in the Western Conference playoff race.
Şengün put on a clinic in the paint, posting a thunderous 19-point, 14-rebound double-double, adding 4 assists and a steal in a game where finesse met fire.
But it wasn’t just his numbers – it was the attitude.
When Warriors veteran Draymond Green tried to bait him early, Şengün hit back harder: drawing contact, finishing strong, and letting Golden State know the new era wasn't going to flinch.
"That and-one after Draymond's tech? That was the turning point," Rockets forward Dillon Brooks said. "Alpi sent a message."
Houston trailed by six after a sluggish first quarter where they went 0-for-6 from deep. But the tide shifted in the second, thanks to scrappy play, bench firepower, and defensive grit.
Jabari Smith Jr. and Aaron Holiday nailed clutch threes, while Şengün’s relentless rebounding helped the Rockets claw back and take a one-point lead into halftime – despite a Curry triple and missed free throws at the buzzer.
Şengün’s night wasn’t without bruises.
He took an elbow to the mouth from Green in the third – a Flagrant 1 foul – but stood tall, igniting a third quarter surge.
As Green sat, Houston seized momentum. They forced turnovers, ran in transition, and dominated the boards. By the end of the third, the Rockets led 83-76.
The fourth was a showcase of Houston’s maturity. Amen Thompson clamped down on Steph Curry, holding the sharpshooter to just 1-for-10 in the final frame. Jalen Green dropped 10 of his 21 points in the clutch, while Jabari Smith Jr. added 16 points and 9 boards off the bench.
Golden State, ice-cold from deep and rattled by 20 turnovers, had no answers. Draymond Green’s night ended with a quiet “triple-single” – 1 point, 5 boards, 5 fouls – and Steve Kerr pulled his starters with under two minutes to go.
For Houston, it was more than just their 52nd win – it was a statement. The Rockets hadn’t beaten the Warriors on the road since 2016. Now, they sit firm in the West’s second seed, staring down a seismic Friday clash with the Lakers in Los Angeles.
But tonight belonged to Alperen Şengün – the anchor, the agitator, and the answer.
Houston next takes on the Clippers on Wednesday, with eyes locked on keeping the momentum – and the message – alive.
