Alperen Sengun Reaps Long Term Benefits From Nikola Jokic’s Short Term Bad Form

The Rockets took home their first on-the-road victory of the season by clenching a 114-106 victory on Friday against the Nuggets on their home court at the Ball Arena. This was the last of the four games between the two teams, and Houston took a 3-1 win against the reigning Champions. The Rockets will host the Spurs on Monday for their second game.

The game on Friday was a face-off between a young star and his idol, Alperen Sengun, and Nikola Jokic. But Jokic and Co. fell short of matching up to the 21-year-old who showed a deadly level of dominance on the floor. Needless to say, the Nuggets did put up a good fight and gave the Rockets a run for the money.

The win set a positive precedent for Sengun and the Rockets

Sengun was on a roll at the Tuesday game, contributing 17 points and a whopping 10 rebounds and 7 assists. This first road win has set a positive tone for Sengun and the Rockets. In a statement after the game, the young talent said, “This road game win means a lot. We figured out how to close it out and win the game.” It was a learning game for the young team, and Sengun, especially, has gained more confidence, which will aid him in the long run.

The same can’t be said for Jokic, who did not seem like himself; not only did he struggle to make baskets, he appeared to be lacking confidence and resorted to only setting screens and rebounding rather than taking offensive shots. The Joker has consistently shown a lack of scoring in the past few games, and he needs to bring back his touch. Otherwise, it will weigh heavily on him and the team in the upcoming games.

The Nuggets gave a tough time to the Rockets in the final quarter

The game got intense toward the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Houston, thanks to Sengun, had a good lead in the first half of the game (52-48). However, the Nuggets had closed the gap halfway through the fourth quarter and gave a tough time to the Rockets to make a comeback. They had an 18-point run over the struggling Rockets.

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Before this, Houston was enjoying a comfortable lead against their opponents, however, the Nuggets were able to close the gap and bring the point difference down to seven. The Nuggets missed nine back-to-back straight field goals amid the Nuggets’ offensive run, but somehow they managed to pull through and close the game with an 8-point difference.

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What were your takeaways from the game? Has Nikola Jokic lost his touch or is it just a short slump? Share your thoughts!