Rockets center Alperen Sengun was cleared on the official injury report Saturday afternoon after being listed as day-to-day with a back issue. He is available for Saturday night's home game against the Thunder.
What happened
The official injury report cleared Alperen Sengun at 1:24 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 31. Before that, the 24-year-old center was listed as day-to-day with a back issue. His status changed several times this week. He was ruled out on Tuesday, Oct. 27, moved to day-to-day on Thursday, went back to out on Friday and returned to day-to-day earlier Saturday. Then he was cleared. The report gave no other detail on the injury and had no comment. Earlier in October, he was day-to-day for rest on Oct. 11 and was cleared on Oct. 15.
What it means for the Rockets
Houston hosts the Thunder at 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday on NBA TV. The Rockets are 5-1, hold the No. 2 seed and lost their last game. Sengun is averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 34.0 minutes over four games. Houston is 4-0 with him and 1-1 without him. In the two games he missed, Kevin Durant averaged 23.3 points in 34.8 minutes, Amen Thompson averaged 17.7 points in 34.8 minutes and Jabari Smith Jr. averaged 17.2 points in 34.5 minutes. Clint Capela played 15.0 minutes a game. The roster is still short. Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard and Steven Adams are all listed as out on the injury report.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Sengun's clearance holds through tipoff against Oklahoma City. Watch his minutes after a week in which his status changed four times. Houston played two games without him and split them, so his return to a lineup that went 4-0 with him is the main storyline. No return dates have been announced for VanVleet, Sheppard or Adams, so their status on the next report will shape the rotation around him.
Is Alperen Sengun playing vs Thunder on Saturday, Oct. 31?
He was cleared on the official injury report at 1:24 p.m. ET Saturday, so he is available for the 8:30 p.m. ET game against the Thunder.
When will Alperen Sengun be back?
He has been cleared after a back issue and is available against the Thunder on Saturday. No other timeline has been announced.