Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Ben DuBose

Alperen Sengun excels in limited FIBA minutes as Turkey crushes Iceland

Alperen Sengun Turkey Iceland Alperen Şengün Bradeaux Rockets

Jalen Green (United States), Dillon Brooks (Canada), and Jock Landale (Australia) aren’t the only Houston Rockets players participating on the international stage in the 2023 NBA offseason.

After a late change in plans, Alperen Sengun is playing for Turkey’s national basketball team in August’s FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament. On Saturday, Houston’s talented young big man had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and a block in 15 minutes as Turkey crushed Iceland, 99-72, in the opening tournament game for both teams.

Buy Rockets Tickets

Based on the talent mismatch, Sengun was only asked to play in the first half. The big man connected on 2-of-4 shots (50.0%) Saturday while going a perfect 6-for-6 on free-throw attempts.

Turkey’s pre-qualifying tournament games all take place in Istanbul from Aug. 12-20. Turkey is battling with Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Iceland in Group C action, while Group D features Croatia, Belgium, Sweden, and the Netherlands. The two top teams from each group advance to a knockout stage, and the tournament winner earns a ticket to next year’s qualifiers for the 2024 Olympics.

As for the Rockets and the NBA, Sengun averaged 14.8 points (55.3% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers), 9.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists in 28.9 minutes last year. He remains Houston’s expected starting center entering training camp for the 2023-24 season, which begins in October.

From Saturday, here’s a look at Sengun’s highlights versus Iceland.

Turkey vs. Iceland: Alperen Sengun clips

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Rapidly spinning 'extreme' neutron star discovered by US Navy research intern
A Navy research team intern is part of a group of astronomers who have discovered a rapidly spinning neutron star, or "pulsar," in a dense cluster of stars around 10 light-years away.
Space
Space
After Loads Of Swifties Have “Memory Loss” Following Concerts, Psychologists Weigh In
"I was there, and I know it was the time of my life, but why do I not remember it?" The post After Loads Of Swifties Have “Memory Loss” Following Concerts, Psychologists Weigh In first appeared on Bored Panda.
Bored Panda
Bored Panda
Are at-home gut microbiome testing kits a scam?
Gut health has become something of a wellness buzzword – so we asked experts what the gut microbiome is and how it affects our health
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Daydream a lot? Feel sluggish? Stare into space? You might have cognitive disengagement syndrome
Do you find that you daydream a lot? Are you often sluggish and tend to disengage easily when doing a task? You might have cognitive disengagement syndrome, or CDS.
The Conversation
The Conversation
Travelling by Ann Powers review – a dazzling life of Joni Mitchell
A sweeping study of Mitchell’s life and work that swerves familiar touchstones to create a vibrant, multi-faceted portrait
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Colorado’s mysterious monolith taken down after too many visitors come to view strange object
The owners of the Morning Fresh Dairy Farm, where the object appeared, said it was being kept safe and that the creator could have it back if they wanted
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play