“It is a luxury, for sure,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka says of Amen Thompson’s ability to play multiple positions on offense. “Playing with any lineup.”
HOUSTON — With 3:02 remaining in Monday’s second quarter and the Rockets clinging to a two-point lead over the Dallas Mavericks, guard Amen Thompson stepped up to the free-throw line to take his second shot. He missed it slightly to the right.
What transpired next is a highlight that will probably make ESPN SportsCenter’s top-10 plays of the day. But it’s probably just another play for Thompson, who has created many like it throughout his three-year NBA career.
Thompson quickly grabbed his missed free throw, landed on two feet, and threw the ball to center Alperen Sengun before falling out of bounds on the baseline. As the defense turned to focus on Sengun, Thompson sneaked back inbounds, caught a lob, and finished with a reverse dunk.
The frenetic sequence brought the Toyota Center crowd to its feet.
“When he threw me the lob, he told me he wasn’t even looking,” Thompson said postgame.
That chemistry Thompson has developed with his teammates over the past two seasons is what has helped the Rockets earn credibility across the league. It was Thompson’s other notable trait, versatility, that stood out Monday as Houston beat Dallas, 110-102, to claim its fourth straight victory.
Thompson finished with a team-high and personal season-high 27 points, and he is now averaging 20.7 points per game over his past three outings.
“It is a luxury, for sure,” Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said when asked about Thompson’s ability to play multiple positions on offense. “Playing with any lineup, he starts with the ball in his hands, and he is really good in the ‘dunker’ (baseline slot near the rim), when he is down there.
“You saw Alpi (Sengun) always finds him down there. Him on the offensive glass, he has done it all since he has been here three years. On the ball, pick and roll, played the corner, and playing in the ‘dunker,’ he has really improved in all those areas.”
Thompson was exactly what Houston needed in the first half, as the Rockets were locked in a battle with a big and athletic Mavericks squad that took away Houston’s usual size advantage. (The injury absence of Jabari Smith Jr. also contributed to that.)
Thompson scored 20 first-half points, including 12 in the second quarter, to help Houston take a 58-55 lead into halftime.
After halftime, Dallas adjusted to prevent Thompson from reaching his most effective spots. Although this limited him to only seven points in the second half, it forced the Mavericks to shift their focus away from Kevin Durant and Sengun. Both players stepped up late and helped lead Houston to victory.
A key part of Houston’s offensive success this season is Thompson’s ability to play multiple positions. That versatility is valuable when opponents try to defend him, often creating a mismatch for smaller guards whose job is to slow down the athletic 6-foot-7 phenom.
He’s also a nightmare for bigger frontcourt players, as he can draw them out of the paint in one-on-one matchups and blow past with his quick first step toward the basket.
“It gives us versatility, somebody at that size who can play four positions, five positions sometimes,” Durant said. “We complement each other when we have size like that and versatility like that. So, good game for twin (Thompson) with 27 (points), five (rebounds), and four (assists).
“It was a great game for him. So, we are going to need that going forward, especially when we can’t make a shot, going 8-for-29 from three (3-point line). We are going to need him to get a win like that throughout the season.”
Prior to tipoff, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd — a Hall of Fame point guard from his NBA playing days — went out of his way to praise Thompson’s offense and the pressure he’s able to put on opposing defenses. Two hours later, Thompson then went out and did exactly that.