The Houston Rockets (32-14) go for a season sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies (31-16) on Thursday night in a nationally televised game at FedEx Forum, the fourth and final game in the regular-season series between the Western Conference rivals.

Rockets' fourth-year center an icon in his home country, where Turkish fans and politicians support his career.

Nearing real stardom, Şengün reflects on Rockets' belief in him: "Whoever trusts me, or backs me up, I will take care of them all my life."

With the NBA trade deadline just a week away, the Houston Rockets will have to explore what moves can help them compete for an NBA Championship this season, but are they already there?

The Houston Rockets have made massive strides as a team on the defensive end of the floor, and that can be accredited to players like Amen Thompson and Dillon B

Jan 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts after a play during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Toyota Center.

Boston nearly pulled off a great win, but fell for the seventh time this season after leading by at least 10 points.

Alperen Şengün is a Turkish professional basketball player born on July 25, 2002, in Giresun, Turkey. He plays as a center for the Houston Rockets in the NBA and represents the Turkish national team.

Amen Thompson had the clutch go-ahead bucket and Dillon Brooks made a franchise record-tying 10 3-pointers in the Rockets' win over the Celtics on Monday.

In a league that requires playoff scars to survive the championship gauntlet of four playoff rounds, the Rockets have none, and any team that has been there before will reveal theirs in a seven-game series. Houston, more than any other team, is one piece away from serious title contention.

In a game that saw the Rockets take a 19-point lead, Cleveland was able to tie the contest. Darius Garland at the free throw line with the chance to tie the game with 1:51 left in the contest, a similar situation to Wednesday’s matchup with Houston. Instead of missing two, Garland sank them both at the charity stripe to bring the game even at 124.

Sengun is in danger of missing his first contest of the season Thursday as he is listed as questionable due to a left calf injury. However, the 22-year-old big man's participation in shootaround is a good sign of his availability against Memphis.