The Houston Rockets are on a roll. They’ve won nine games in a row and are staying ahead of challengers for the second seed in the Western Conference. Helping them do so on Friday night was the return of possibly the team’s best player. The Rockets defeated the Miami Heat 102-98 in Amen Thompson‘s return from injury. With only 11 games left to play, including a very competitive stretch towards the end, the Rockets are looking to close the season out strong. Having the franchise’s possible future superstar back in the fold is going to be a major help in doing so. Let’s dive into Thompson’s return and impressive play.
Rockets Young Star Amen Thompson Returns Looking Better Than Ever
When Thompson was seen exiting the arena in a boot after a win over the New Orleans Pelicans two weeks ago, it was unclear how long he would be unavailable. Even when an MRI confirmed there was no structural damage, a return this early seemed ambitious. But on Friday night, Thompson not only played but was one of the best players on the court. The best, if not for a flame thrower performance from the team’s floor general, Fred VanVleet.
VanVleet scored 37 and went 9-11 from three. That kind of outlier performance is hard to beat. Thompson’s seven steals were an outlier even for him. They would be for anyone but the Great Barrier Thief, Dyson Daniels himself. But other than that, Thompson’s excellent performance was notable for just how run-of-the-mill it was. Thompson’s one-in-a-million mill just runs faster than everyone else’s.
Thompson Shines For Rockets In Messy Game
Thompson posted 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one block, and, seven steals. While the seven steals do admittedly indicate, that defense was the focal point of his impact, his offensive contributions were certainly valuable. They were rendered more so by the ungainly performances of the team’s offensive focal points, Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. Green and his All-Star costar went a combined 7-28 from the field and scored 14 total points.
Of course, the Machiavellian defensive mastermind that is Heat coach Erik Spoelstra had a lot to do with the Rockets stars’ poor performances. And the defensive attention that Green and Sengun absorbed gave Thompson and others multiple easy baskets. Mostly though, as he often does, Thompson terrorized the Rockets’ opponents in transition. Thompson looks like an Ozempic Zion Williamson with the way he finds his way toward the basket and finishes around the rim. His scoring ability in transition is complemented perfectly by his ability to generate transition opportunities with his game-altering defense.
Thompson Takes Rockets’ Defense To Another Level
Thompson made sure there would be no flamethrower performances for any of the Rockets’ opponents. In particular, he kept Heat star and personal nemesis Tyler Herro decidedly cool. Herro finished the game going 3-11 from the field with six turnovers. Thompson might have had his suspension earlier this season at the forefront of his mind for this outing. But even generally, Thompson is such a menace defensively, that if he hadn’t started the season coming off the bench, he might be making a late push for Defensive Player of the Year right around now. Thompson has a stellar defensive field goal percentage of 40.7, he is clearly the best defender on the third-ranked defense in the NBA.
The Last Word
The way Thompson sprang back from injury was reminiscent of Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s 2021 playoffs return en route to the championship. Obviously, the stakes were a little lower on Friday night. Frankly, even if they can hold onto the two-seed, the Rockets look like a team that will struggle in the postseason due to their offensive limitations. That won’t stop them from keeping their sights high though. Having Thompson back makes the Rockets a threat to anyone, he looks like the team’s future franchise player.
Photo credit: © Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
