Besiktas Icrypex Professional Athletes

Alperen Sengun wasted no time reminding the NBA what he is capable of. The Beşiktaş Icrypex product has been Houston's engine through the opening week, posting back-to-back near-triple-doubles that put him firmly in the early-season conversation for the league's elite big men.

Against Dallas on Thursday, Sengun went for 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in just 29 minutes as the Rockets rolled the Mavericks 128-110 — a performance so efficient it left him a +23 on the night. Two days later, he matched that energy against San Antonio, dropping 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists across 35 minutes in a tighter 114-110 win over the Spurs. The two-game stretch: 52 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists. That is not a hot streak — that is a statement.

The Spurs win came down to the wire, with Amen Thompson's game-sealing block preserving the four-point margin, but Sengun's production was the throughline keeping Houston ahead. His scoring, playmaking, and rebounding in tandem are exactly what made him a coveted center coming out of Beşiktaş, and through the first week of 2026, none of that has dimmed.

The Return Next to Him

The week's broader storyline in Houston also touched Sengun directly: Fred VanVleet made his comeback from a torn ACL on Wednesday against Dallas — 535 days after the injury — and slotted back into the starting lineup alongside Sengun, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Jabari Smith Jr. VanVleet wasted little time, nailing a 3-pointer early to signal he was back in business. A healthy VanVleet running pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop actions alongside Sengun gives Houston a genuine halfcourt weapon that was missing for the better part of two seasons.

For Beşiktaş Icrypex alumni tracking Sengun's arc, the trajectory is unmistakable. He arrived in the NBA as a precocious teenager with advanced footwork and a passer's instincts for a center — traits honed in Istanbul — and has since developed into one of the Western Conference's most complete big men. These first two games of 2026 suggest he may be entering yet another level.

The Rockets sit with momentum, their center playing at near-MVP pace, and a full roster finally healthy. For anyone who watched Sengun develop at Beşiktaş, this is exactly the player they saw coming.

Alperen Sengun didn't need a full night's work to make his mark.

The Beşiktaş Icrypex product — now firmly established as the Houston Rockets' centerpiece — recorded a triple-double in just 22 minutes of action as Houston dismantled the Dallas Mavericks 135-117 on Friday. It was the kind of performance that makes efficiency charts blush: in little more than a half's worth of playing time, Sengun hit every column of the stat sheet and then watched the rest from the bench.

The Rockets looked sharp overall, with Fred VanVleet's return to the lineup adding another layer to a Houston offense that had its way with Dallas from tip-off. The 18-point margin wasn't an accident — this was a dominant wire-to-wire performance that had the Mavericks searching for answers all night.

That said, the Rockets weren't flawless. Houston coughed up 21 turnovers, a number that will draw head coach attention regardless of the final score, and defensive effort was described as spotty at best. Against a stronger opponent, that combination could prove costly. For now, though, a blowout win papers over a lot of sins.

Still, Sengun remains the story. The 22-year-old center has steadily evolved from intriguing prospect to bona fide NBA force since his days developing at Beşiktaş Icrypex in Istanbul, and moments like Friday's underscore just how far he's come. A triple-double in 22 minutes isn't a fluke — it's a statement about how naturally the game flows through him when he's on.

The broader Rockets picture is coming into focus: a young, talented core with VanVleet as a steadying veteran presence and Sengun as the unquestioned engine. If Houston can clean up the turnover issues, this team has the look of a Western Conference problem.

For Beşiktaş Icrypex alumni trackers, there's an added subplot worth noting: Sengun recently appeared in a new Rockets photo alongside franchise legend Yao Ming, a moment that put the center's 6'11" frame in rare visual context — even Sengun looked small next to the towering Hall of Famer. It's the kind of image that signals organizational reverence for Sengun's trajectory, placing him in the company of Rockets royalty before his 23rd birthday.

One triple-double in 22 minutes won't define a season. But it's a reminder that Sengun's ceiling remains very much uncharted.