Rockets’ Amen Thompson makes NBA history with insane stat line against Wizards

With Jabari Smith Jr. is out with a hand injury, Amen Thompson has before him a golden opportunity to cement his place in Houston Rockets starting line-up – maybe even forever. Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has done nothing but impress whenever he gets an extended run, and Tuesday night was no different as the Rockets beat the Washington Wizards 135-112.

Thompson continues to wow the NBA world with his almost unmatched level of athleticism, and that translates into loaded stat sheets and the win column. Against the Wizards, the Rockets forward was a blur, scoring 20 points, pulling down 15 rebounds and dishing out five steals in a game that wasn’t as close as the lopsided scoreline would indicate.

And in doing so, Thompson became the youngest attacker in NBA history, according to StatMamba on X (formerly known as Twitter), to post at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a single game without a turnover.

Thompson has a problem with being too careless with the basketball at times, so it’s definitely part of his growth as an all-around force for the Rockets to be more careful and patient with the rock.

That’s a a huge luxury for the Rockets have guns like Thompson; he was drafted as a guard, but the supremely athletic 6’7″ forward can play the one through four with relative ease. He fills so many voids on a Rockets team that has built a winning identity on the defensive end of the floor, and to see his offense come through the way he has, in just his second season, no less, must feel so validating for the fans. Houston that stuck around during their painful rebuild.

Amen Thompson, Rockets fly high in win against Wizards

It may have taken a while, but the Rockets took over the game in the second half and never looked back. Amen Thompson has played a huge role in giving the Rockets the energy they need to get out of games fairly easily, as it’s his defensive versatility, superior end-to-end athleticism and relentlessness to the basket that more than makes up for the loss of spacing due to Jabari Smith Jr.’s injury.

But Thompson wasn’t the only one to show up Tuesday night. Jalen Green had another hot shooting night, scoring 29 points, while Alperen Sengun continued to be as reliable as ever, recording 26 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.