Alperen Sengun finished with 39 points and 16 rebounds as the Houston Rockets bagged their third consecutive victory with a 118-114 defeat of the Indiana Pacers on Monday.<\/p>\n
Turkish international Sengun, who was one of the most notable omissions from this month’s NBA All-Star Game, dominated at both ends of the court as the Rockets squeezed home.<\/p>\n
Jabari Smith Jr. backed Sengun with 19 points while Amen Thompson added 16 points as Houston improved to 31-17 to remain fourth in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, the Minnesota Timberwolves (31-20) saw their four-game unbeaten streak halted by the Memphis Grizzlies in a 137-128 defeat.<\/p>\n
Memphis, missing the injured Ja Morant, improved to 19-29 thanks to 30 points from Jaren Jackson Jr.<\/p>\n
Seven Memphis players finished in double figures, with Ty Jerome scoring 19 points and Jaylen Wells 18 points. Cam Spencer and Vince Williams added 16 points each.<\/p>\n
The Charlotte Hornets edged closer to the playoff places with a 102-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, extending their win streak to seven games.<\/p>\n
LaMelo Ball was the hero for Charlotte, recovering from an accidental clash of heads with Hornets head coach Charles Lee to finish with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists.<\/p>\n
Ball needed treatment for a gash near his eye after colliding with Lee as he scrambled to grab a loose pass in the first quarter.<\/p>\n
He returned soon afterwards to help Charlotte climb out of a 22-point hole as the Hornets improved to 23-28, just one place behind 10th-placed Atlanta in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n
Rising Charlotte star Kon Knueppel finished with 17 points, including four three-pointers, while Brandon Miller and Grant Williams had 16 points each.<\/p>\n
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