The Houston Rockets took on the San Antonio Spurs in a marquee preseason tilt Monday night that had diehard NBA fans switching away from Monday Night Football for the excitement of a matchup between two incredibly talented rookies.

The Rockets have arguably their most talented team in years under former Celtics boss Ime Udoka, but one key concern heading into the regular season. New offseason addition Dillon Brooks has already caused trouble on the court, eliciting a $25,000 fine for a below the belt hit during a preseason game vs. Indiana.

Showing off a polished offensive and defensive game, the Rockets rookie Thompson turned heads in San Antonio with a splashdown from three-point range followed by a fast break runout that ended in a thunderous two-hand jam.

Amen Thompson, ROTY Candidate?

Just days after Wembanyama turned heads with his Space Jam caliber ‘plastic man' dunk, Thompson's insane skills have caught the attention of many fans nationwide.

The Rockets' Thompson, who was taken one spot before his promising brother Ausar of the Detroit Pistons, looked like a young Ron Artest or Scottie Pippen on the play, with a new school flair.

His defensive focus and maturity on the basketball court suggest he has Rookie-of-the-Year type talent, hinting that Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder aren't the only potential superstars from this year's draft class in the making.

“Like a fast man Usain Bolt,” one fan said about the Thompson highlight.

“Punch that s—!” another fan added on X in celebration of the incredible sequence.

Thompson a Future All-Star?

Despite the impressive sequence, Thompson didn't do a whole lot of stat sheet stuffing on Monday night. He racked up 15 points but had just one assist and zero rebounds in 21 minutes of action. He did so with Jalen Green out due to an injury.

Fans have already seen Thompson's stat-stuffing abilities in the past, however, suggesting that he still has another gear or two to reach as the 2023-2024 NBA season gets underway.

Wembanyama did not play on Monday as Rockets seized control of the game down the stretch of the fourth quarter on the road, but rest assured — the Rockets star and the Spurs star will see plenty of each other in the coming months and years as the new guard of the NBA's Western Conference takes shape.