Alperen Şengün

Half of the battle had, perhaps, already been won for the Houston Rockets, as they entered the NBA Cup Quarterfinals with a “thirst” for excellence that Alperen Şengün admitted he hadn’t quite seen before. In the first high-stakes close-up of his NBA career, Şengün covered the rest by taking on a well-known role: the straw stirring Houston’s offensive drink. Working as one-third of a pesky, harassing defensive encircling intent on preventing Lindy Waters III from advancing upcourt, Şengün, following his teammate’s steal, finds himself holding every card in Houston’s three-on-two opportunity. Unleashing a move that even a former Defensive Player of the Year couldn’t quite offset, Şengün tricks Draymond Green into taking flight before somehow slipping a no-look dime under his literal jump, securing an unorthodox highlight assist. The all-seeing center soon set his sights on victory, as Houston used a game-closing 7-0 run to conquer the Golden State Warriors. Recognized and rewarded among the five-player Emirates NBA Cup All-Tournament Team, Şengün’s star shined through 26 points (on 10-of-18 shooting), 11 rebounds, five assists, and three steals on December 11, 2024.