Alperen Şengün's 39 points were not enough for the Rockets!

In the opening game of the 2025-2026 NBA regular season, the defending champion Thunder defeated the Rockets 125-124 after two overtime periods, starting the season with a victory.

Alperen Şengün played approximately 49 minutes for the Rockets, posting 39 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. The national basketball player also set a career-high with 5 three-pointers.

Alperen's performance also received wide coverage in the US press.

ESPN and AP, as well as Yahoo and Sports Illustrated, evaluated the performance of the national basketball player.

Sports Illustrated, a monthly sports magazine published in the US, published a news article titled "Alperen Şengün's magnificent game ended in disappointment despite his record in the NBA opening game." It said, "Alperen Şengün's night ended in defeat."

Sports Illustrated reported, "The Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder had an unforgettable opening night. NBA fans got a glimpse of what Alperen Şengün will bring this year. Şengün delivered an MVP-worthy performance. Unfortunately, he ultimately fell short. The Rockets' season-opening losing streak continued."

US-based international sports media company ESPN commented , "Alperen Şengün's 39-point performance against the Thunder on the season's opening night wasn't enough for the win."

"THE MOST NOTABLE THING WAS HIS PERFORMANCE FROM BEHIND THE THREE-POINT LINE"

Yahoo, in its news article titled "Rockets star Alperen Şengün achieved striking statistics never seen before in NBA history," included the following statements:

Şengün has been a stat sheet filler for a long time, but the most striking aspect of his game Tuesday night was his performance from the three-point line. Alperen made just 23.3 percent of his threes last season, when he was only making one per game. Now, he seems to have gained a lot of confidence, and if he can continue to space the floor and shoot threes, it would be a huge asset for the Rockets' offense.

Yahoo reported, " Şengün finished the game with a dazzling 39 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists. Şengün, who shot 12 for 24 from the field and 5 for 8 from 3-point range, became the first center in NBA history to produce at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists while making 5 3-pointers in a season-opening game."

US-based news agency AP reported, " Şengün became the first player to produce at least 39 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in his team's first game of the season."

According to StatMuse, a company that also publishes NBA statistics for the USA, Alperen Şengün became the first center in NBA history to record at least 25 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and make 5 three-pointers in the season's opening game.