Rockets beat Kings but lose leading scorer Alperen Şengün to knee injury

Fred VanVleet scored 22 points, Jalen Green added 19 and the Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings, 112-104, on Sunday.

The Rockets may have lost leading scorer Alperen Şengün to a right knee injury when he landed awkwardly while challenging a shot by the Kings’ Domantas Sabonis with under a minute to play in the fourth. Şengün appeared to be in immediate distress, and he left the court in a wheelchair after several minutes on the baseline, with his hands covering his face.

The 21-year-old Şengün, who had 14 points prior to the injury, is averaging a career-high 21.2 points per game in his third season.

Seven players finished in double figures for the Rockets, who have won four of five as they look to make a push toward a spot in the play-in tournament. Houston is now 4 1/2 games back of the 10th seed in the Western Conference.

Sabonis led the Kings with 25 points and 15 rebounds.

Sacramento cut a 17-point lead down to five late in the fourth quarter, but Houston held off a late push, with Green hitting a three to push the lead to eight with under a minute to play.

The Rockets grabbed control in the third quarter, going on a 13-0 run and taking advantage of five straight turnovers by the Kings to take an 86-73 lead into the fourth. Şengün had eight points in the quarter, and the Kings held the Rockets to just 14 points and four field goals.

Houston swept the Kings this season, also beating Sacramento in consecutive home games in November. The Rockets had dropped four of the last five to the Kings on the road. They have now won three straight on the road, a season-high.

Sacramento dropped to seventh in the West, entering the game tied with Phoenix for the last spot to avoid the play-in tournament.

The Rockets trailed by 13 points in the first half, but finished on a 13-5 run to cut the deficit to 59-54 at halftime, with VanVleet making back-to-back 3-pointers.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Alperen Sengun