{
  "id": 16325201,
  "title": "Rockets-Spurs: Thompson Block & Sengun Buckets Put Houston Back In Business",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/rockets-spurs-thompson-block-sengun-buckets-put-houston-back-in",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-24T12:37:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rockets-spurs-thompson-block-sengun-123750834.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Houston Rockets secured a thrilling 114-110 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in their season opener, signaling a resurgence in expectations for the franchise. Guard Amen Thompson played a pivotal role, blocking Victor Wembanyama's final attempt and contributing 20 points, ten rebounds, and four assists. Thompson's versatility was on full display, as he also made two crucial three-pointers. However, the Rockets' offense appeared to be significantly improved, with center Alperen Sengun leading the charge with 29 points and four rebounds, shooting 40% from three. The Rockets' shooting coach, Chris Engelland, has been instrumental in improving the team's shooting from beyond the arc, with Sengün shooting 2-of-4 from three in the game. The Rockets' return of Fred VanVleet and the absence of injury concerns for key players have contributed to the improved performance. With the Hawks set to arrive on Saturday for a back-to-back, the Rockets are poised to challenge for the NBA title.",
  "summary": "The Houston Rockets sent a message with their Friday night 114-110 win over the San Antonio Spurs. The Rockets had already won their season opener on Wednesday. But in a sign of how far expectations had fallen for Houston this season, that matchup was against the lowly Dallas Mavericks. Just two games in, expectations are …",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}