Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun was initially expected to be unavailable for up to two weeks after spraining his right ankle, but his absence ended up being much shorter.
Sengun missed only three games over a seven-day span before returning to the lineup.
Despite the quick turnaround, he admitted on Wednesday that his ankle is still not fully healed, per reporting from Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports.
The big man acknowledged that he’s continuing to manage the injury rather than playing at full strength.
He explained that reaching 100 percent isn’t an immediate expectation and that patience is part of the process.
“Still not 100 percent. It’s not going to be 100 percent for a while,” Sengun said. “But I’ve played through this all my life and I’m okay with it. Trying to get my treatment every day, feel as strong as I can be and go play.”
The timing of his return hasn’t coincided with strong results for the Houston Rockets.
The team has dropped four of its last five games and most recently suffered a lopsided 20-point loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
Western Notes: Sengun, Booker, Horford, Cissoko, Love https://t.co/hsypUSDRKd pic.twitter.com/y33xMnxtqT
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 16, 2026
