Amen Thompson, Rockets No. 4 Pick, Exits Debut With Apparent Ankle Injury

Houston’s top rookie left his debut against Portland with an injury to his left ankle.

For much of Friday night’s summer league action between the Rockets and Trail Blazers, it was fast-paced, exciting basketball featuring many of the two franchises’ up-and-coming stars.

Portland guard Scoot Henderson looked every bit the part of a future All-Star, scoring 15 points while adding six assists and five rebounds before exiting the contest with a right shoulder injury in the third quarter.

As if an injury to Henderson wasn’t bad enough, No. 4 pick Amen Thompson left the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury, and it did not look pretty.

Amen Thompson exited the game with an apparent ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/h9MxRNorkw

— ESPN (@espn) July 8, 2023

Thompson struggled to put pressure on his left ankle as he staggered off the floor into the locker room with the help of the medical staff.

Rockets’ Amen Thompson hurting on his way to the locker room pic.twitter.com/oWu5hf6PGW

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2023

Despite how it looked in real time, it appears that Rockets fan can breathe a collective sigh of relief. ESPN’s Tim McMahon reported after the game that Thompson sprained his ankle, but the injury is not considered to be serious.

Thompson finished with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting with five assists and four rebounds.

The Rockets edged the Trail Blazers 100–99 on a Jabari Smith Jr. game-winning three as time expired.