Şengün’s 43-Point Night Powers Rockets Past Jazz, 125-118

Overview

• The Rockets beat the Jazz 125-118 at Toyota Center Saturday, with Alperen Şengün scoring 43 points and grabbing 12 rebounds on 17-of-24 shooting.
• Kevin Durant added 22 points and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line as Houston leaned on star scoring when perimeter shots weren’t falling.
• Houston won the battle inside by outscoring Utah in the paint and outrebounding the Jazz, while the Rockets used depth from Tari Eason and Amen Thompson to sustain energy with key minutes.
• Utah’s young core kept the game close with Darryn Peterson scoring 28, Keyonte George 27 and Ace Bailey 21, but the loss extended the Jazz’s skid to 1-12 overall.
• The result leaves Houston 10-3 and 1-1 in NBA Cup group play with two Cup games left, and it underscores Şengün’s rising All-Star case and Utah’s focus on developing its young players.