Türkiye's Sengun breaks Shaq's record as youngest NBA centre with 33 points

Türkiye's Alperen Sengun has made NBA history by becoming the youngest centre to score a career-high 33 points for his Houston Rockets team against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Tuesday's game ended 140-132 in favour of the Lakers, but the 20-year-old Sengun still scored 14 of 17 from the field, adding 15 rebounds and six assists.

Sengun broke the three-decade record of Shaquille O’Neal, who scored 30 points at the age of 21 during the 1992-93 season.

The Rockets are currently in the 15th spot in the NBA Western Conference rankings with 10 wins and 34 losses, while the LA Lakers are in 13th place with 20 wins and 24 losses.

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After recording an impressive form in Turkish team Besiktas in 2021, Sengun was selected 16th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021 NBA draft when he was only 19.

He was later traded to the Rockets for two future first-round picks, and eventually signed a contract with the team in August 2021.

While in the NBA, the star player from the province of Giresun remains a member of Türkiye's national team, most recently playing for his country in the September 2022 EuroBasket conference.

Although the Turkish team and Sengun were eliminated in the EuroBasket's round of 16 after losing to France in overtime, the 2.11 metres (6 feet and 11 inches) was the best player on the national team, leading in points with 16.8 per game and 8.2 rebounds per game.

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