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In Game 5 against the Golden State Warriors, Amen Thompson had himself a game.
With his team facing elimination if they dropped another game to Steve Kerr's squad, the Rockets came out of the gates ready to rock, scoring 40 in the first half plus 36 more in the second to lead Houston past Stephen Curry and company 76-49 heading into intermission.
And leading the way was Thompson, who not only made it his mission to make Curry's life as hard as possible but got things done on the offensive side of the ball too, finishing the game with 25 points in 35 minutes to go with six rebounds, five steals, three blocks, and three assists for good measure.
Impressive stuff, right? Well, it was actually quite historic too, as only two other players in NBA history, Houston alumni Rick Barry and Hakeem Olajuwon, have matched that stat line in a playoff game, an impressive mark for the Rockets wing in only his second professional season.
After playing a part-time role as a rookie, Thompson really came into his own during the 2024-25 season, starting 42 of the 60 games he appeared in, plus all five preseason games he's appeared in so far. Thompson turned in career-best marks pretty much across the board as a second-year pro, averaging 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks in 32.2 minutes of action a night and showcased his versatility as a do-it-all two-way player.
While Thompson still struggled with his outside shot, remaining below 30 percent on 1.3 attempts per game, his ability to move on and off the ball with ease while playing elite defense made him a Box Plus-Minus darling for Ime Udoka's team.
With the series heading back to Golden State for Game 6, the Rockets will need Thompson to remain a two-way threat who can score on Curry just as easily as he can slow the future Hall of Famer down on offense. If he can continue his hot streak in California, the legend of Thompson will only continue to grow.
