Alperen Şengün didn’t make the 2026 NBA All-Star team. One night later, he made sure nobody forgot his name.
The Houston Rockets’ 23-year-old centerpiece delivered one of the finest performances of his young career Sunday night, pouring in 39 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and dishing out five assists to lift Houston past the Indiana Pacers 118-114 on the road.
The win marked the Rockets’ third straight and came just a day after All-Star reserve selections were announced, without Şengün’s name.
“It was a disappointment,” Şengün said afterward. “My goal after last year was to be an All-Star every season. There’s a lot of talent in this league, and I’m still young. I’ll get there. This only pushes me to work harder.”
Şengün’s response was loud and relentless. He logged 35 minutes, shot 13 of 25 from the field, went 13 of 18 at the line and dominated the glass, pulling down seven offensive rebounds.
His scoring and rebounding totals matched season highs, and one of his final boards sealed a game that swung wildly, featuring 18 lead changes and 17 ties.
Houston leaned heavily on its young star, especially with Kevin Durant sidelined, and Şengün delivered with authority, controlling the paint and orchestrating the offense late.
“This isn’t just about being an All-Star,” Şengün said. “I have to prove myself every night. Last month wasn’t great for me, but it’s a new month. I have to be aggressive, remember who I am and how I can dominate games.”
The numbers back up his case.
Through the 2025-26 season, Şengün is averaging roughly 21 points, just over nine rebounds and more than six assists per game while shooting around 50% from the field, production shared by only a handful of players leaguewide, including Nikola Jokic.
He has been a driving force behind Houston’s rise in the Western Conference, where the Rockets entered February with a strong 30-17-type record and growing postseason momentum.
Yet despite more than 1.5 million fan votes, Şengün was left out when Western Conference coaches selected the reserves.
The omission was widely labeled one of the biggest All-Star snubs of 2026, with analysts pointing to the West’s brutal depth, featuring stars like Luka Doncic, Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Durant, and a crowded frontcourt ballot.
Many observers argued that had Şengün played in the Eastern Conference, his selection would have been a formality.
After earning his first All-Star nod in 2024-25 and improving his overall game this season, particularly as a playmaker, expectations were high.
