Houston Rockets First Basket Stats 2025-26: Who Scores First
Alperen Sengun scored the Rockets’ first basket more than anyone in 2025-26: 20 times in 78 starts, or 26% of the games they started. Amen Thompson was next with 19. The Rockets made the game’s first field goal in 47% of their 88 games and won 37% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2025-26 game (1,225 regular season, 85 playoffs, 6 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Rockets in 2025-26
First basket for team is the first field goal by any HOU player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for HOU | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alperen Sengun | 78 | 20 | 26% | 12 | 15% |
| Amen Thompson | 85 | 19 | 22% | 7 | 8% |
| Kevin Durant | 79 | 17 | 22% | 9 | 11% |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 83 | 12 | 14% | 6 | 7% |
| Josh Okogie | 34 | 7 | 21% | 1 | 3% |
| Tari Eason | 38 | 5 | 13% | 4 | 11% |
| Reed Sheppard | 26 | 4 | 15% | 0 | 0% |
| Clint Capela | 3 | 2 | 67% | 2 | 67% |
| Steven Adams | 11 | 2 | 18% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Rockets scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 88 | 41 | 47% |
| Home | 44 | 22 | 50% |
| Away | 44 | 19 | 43% |
| Regular season | 82 | 39 | 48% |
| Playoffs | 6 | 2 | 33% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alperen Sengun | 70 | 26 | 37% |
| Steven Adams | 11 | 4 | 36% |
| Clint Capela | 3 | 1 | 33% |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Amen Thompson | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Tari Eason | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 87 | 32 | 37% |
How the Rockets’ first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 36 | 41% |
| 3-pointer | 21 | 24% |
| Layup | 20 | 23% |
| Dunk | 11 | 12% |
2024-25
| Player | Starts | First basket for HOU | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alperen Sengun | 82 | 34 | 41% | 21 | 26% |
| Dillon Brooks | 81 | 12 | 15% | 7 | 9% |
| Jalen Green | 88 | 11 | 12% | 6 | 7% |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 38 | 10 | 26% | 7 | 18% |
| Amen Thompson | 49 | 8 | 16% | 4 | 8% |
| Fred VanVleet | 66 | 4 | 6% | 2 | 3% |
| Tari Eason | 16 | 4 | 25% | 1 | 6% |
| Reed Sheppard | 3 | 2 | 67% | 2 | 67% |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Rockets?
Alperen Sengun, with 20 of the Rockets’ first baskets in 2025-26 (26% of their 78 starts), ahead of Amen Thompson with 19.
How often do the Rockets score first?
The Rockets made the first field goal in 41 of 88 games in 2025-26 (47%): 50% at home and 43% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Rockets?
Alperen Sengun took 70 of the Rockets’ 87 opening tips in 2025-26 and won 37% of them.
Is Alperen Sengun a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 26% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every NBA game; see NBA first basket picks.
Source: NBA play-by-play and box scores, 2025-26. Updated October 13, 2026. See the NBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.