The Houston Rockets turned the debilitating loss of burgeoning star center Alperen Sengun, who missed the final 18 games last season with knee and ankle injuries, into a period of discovery that propelled an unexpected pursuit of a playoff berth and reshaped their philosophy offensively.
With Sengun sidelined, the Rockets leaned fully into a faster pace spurred by guard Jalen Green. Houston reeled off an 11-game win streak in March — Sengun sat the final nine games — while Green averaged 30.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists to fuel the surge.
Committed to the hastened pace they established late last season, the Rockets will open the 2024-25 campaign Wednesday by hosting the Charlotte Hornets…