Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson Makes History vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Amen Thompson scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the Houston Rockets win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 28, 2024

Mar 27, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) shoots as / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

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Houston Rockets rookie Amen Thompson has looked like the player scouts hyped him up to be before he became the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Thompson has started the last eight games for the Rockets with Alperen Sengun sidelined with an ankle sprain, and he's made the most of his opportunity. The height of his ascent came on Wednesday night when he scored a season-high 25 points and 15 rebounds in the Rockets' overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Thompson became the first rookie in franchise history to post those numbers since Yao Ming, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

Mar 27, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) shoots as / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Thompson's recent success isn't a surprise for assistant coach Ben Sullivan.

"He's a great kid," Sullivan said on Rockets All Access with team reporter Vanessa Richardson. "Very smart. Works really hard. It kind of struck me just... you get this sense that he really wants it, like whenever you're around him. I love that about him."

Thompson's effort is on display when he's not the lead guard. He has arguably been the team's center with Sengun out and he's able to defend any player on the court with his unique size and speed.

Given his physical gifts, he's already a talented player. But by adding in the desire to be great, the Rockets have quite the player on their hands.

Thompson and the Rockets are back in action tomorrow night against the Utah Jazz. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT.

Published Mar 28, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.