BOSTON — Minutes after Amen Thompson sank a game-winning floater, sending thousands of dumbfounded Boston Celtics fans heading for the exits, the Houston Rockets second-year forward made a tiny but loud gesture at his locker.
The wave of emotion stretching from the TD Garden tunnel to the narrow hallway adjacent to the visitor’s locker room signified the magnitude of a game Houston had just won. Assistants bellowed joyfully off the floor, teammates rejoiced in the locker room and coach Ime Udoka made a rare postgame appearance — with an even rarer smile.
But there was no bravado from Thompson, no puffing of his chest, no yelling, nothing. Just a congratulatory text from his twin brother Ausar and a finger pointing to the vein on his right forearm.
Ice. Cold.
“He’s learning on the fly,” Udoka said of Thompson following Houston’s 114-112 win. “He showed glimpses last year when he came back from injury and started the last 18 with (Alperen Şengün) out. Anybody who’s watched us obviously knows what he does, and now he’s getting a chance to show it even more with the increased minutes in a starting role.”
Defensive mistakes doom short-handed Celtics in late loss to Rockets
Thompson’s 33-point, nine-rebound, four-assist performance on an efficient 13-of-19 shooting against the reigning champs might have been his official coming-out party to the casual fan who stumbled upon League Pass on a school night. But nothing Thompson did against Boston — or anything else he’s done since being inserted into the starting lineup — surprised the people he works with daily. It’s expected, not just for the sake of Thompson’s development, but for the Rockets’ ever-growing expectations.
Monday evening was a benchmark for Houston. Regardless of where the Rockets are in their rebuild — if we should even call it that anymore — games against the Celtics will always mean something.
From an emotional standpoint, this was the first time that Udoka had returned to Boston bringing a playoff-worthy team with him, and the crescendo of boos during player introductions gave a reminder he was behind enemy lines. But Monday was a prime opportunity to gauge the Rockets’ level of preparation against a blue-chip contender, especially with the playoffs just a few months away. And where Houston was (or wasn’t) as it pertained to contending fell squarely on Udoka’s shoulders.
“You test yourself against all the top teams on a nightly basis if we’re trying to get to where we’re trying to go,” Udoka said. “These are benchmarks for us. As we become a better team, we talk about taking care of business against teams we’re supposed to and measuring ourselves against the better teams.”
Monday was also a benchmark for Thompson. He and Houston’s coaching staff knew what to expect from Boston — and how the 21-year-old could be the X-factor.
Smart defenses, like the Celtics’ seventh-ranked unit, scheme to send constant pressure at Şengün, Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet with blitzing, swarming and zone. Boston was also comfortable leaving center Luke Kornet on Thompson because of the latter’s lack of shooting and his propensity to attack downhill.
But as Thompson showed possession after possession, few can slow him down when his mind is set on where he wants to go. He took the slow-footed center guarding him and punished the Celtics every chance he got. Whether it was wrestling rebounds from Boston’s giant tandem of Kornet and Kristaps Porziņģis or countering the Celtics’ approach by placing the ball more in his hands and acting as a wrecking ball of a playmaker, Thompson’s relentless punches hit harder.
The Rockets certainly wouldn’t have won this game without the timely contributions of fellow wing defender Dillon Brooks, who scored a game-high 36 points on a career-high 10-of-15 3s (The veteran has quietly been Houston’s most consistent floor spacer this season.) But it’s almost unfathomable to think where Houston would be without Thompson’s presence nightly.
“Putting a big body on him, he still has his advantages,” Udoka said. “He can get into his handle game and downhill, that’s the versatility that he can attack any matchup.”
“It just shows our depth,” Thompson said. “It’s important for us to step up. Dillon went crazy — without him, we’re not even in that game. The attention (Jalen and Fred) get makes it easier for me and Dillon, for sure.”
The Rockets won’t win a plethora of important games over the next few months on nights when Green, VanVleet and Şengün combine for just 30 points, and they can’t rely on Brooks having huge games to pull them out. But Houston can hang on to Thompson’s rapid ascension, his two-way impact and his high-octane, infectious energy giving them an advantage.
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When starting forward Jabari Smith Jr. suffered a fractured left hand earlier this month, there were fears Houston’s season would be forced off balance without Smith’s defensive versatility, rebounding and floor spacing. But since being inserted into the starting lineup, Thompson hasn’t just given the Rockets a workable floor; he’s raised their ceiling.
Thompson works in Houston because he’s a perfect marriage between the versatility Udoka likes and the aggression he loves. Offensively, his athleticism can punish teams from any spot on the floor. And on any given defensive possession, Thompson can shuffle between positions and use his gifts to stifle opponents, snuff out shot attempts and seize control of the glass in ways second-year players shouldn’t be able to.
As a starter, Thompson is playing a shade under 40 minutes a night and averaging 19.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.4 assists, to go along with 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. That intersection of production and durability is simply unheard of in this league, especially at that age and experience level.
It doesn’t matter that Thompson isn’t yet a good shooter (21 percent from 3 as a starter, 32 percent from the corners). His ability to shift the calculus — or truthfully, create his own — negates any perceived floor spacing concerns. Thompson’s physical attributes place him in a class of his own but, combined with his processor, his presence is almost like a sixth starter on the floor at all times. Following the game, Udoka said the final possession was specifically designed to get Thompson attacking downhill against a slower Jaylen Brown but even before that, it was clear Thompson — and Udoka — had outmatched whatever Boston threw at them.
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“I coached a guy like Ben Simmons where people did that to try to take away the paint, but (Amen’s) so fast and explosive that we can put him anywhere in actions and still get him downhill,” Udoka said. “He’s understood how to set screens and mix it up off the ball (as well).”
Monday was a reminder to the rest of the NBA that Thompson and the Rockets are legit. In less than a week, they’ve knocked off the team with the best record twice (Cleveland) and the second-seeded Celtics, two teams that seem destined for the Eastern Conference finals. If the regular season began with a desire to make the playoffs, the focus now has shifted toward just how deep of a run this team can make. This is a team that has the depth and talent to play well into April, May and even June. And it doesn’t take leaving Boston with a win to prove that, although it’s a suitable road trip parting gift.
“We feel great,” Thompson said. “We feel like we can beat anybody, and this road trip has really proven that.”
“We’re over halfway through now, and our record is what it is,” Udoka added. “It’s not just a fluke or anything. People watch film and they see the physicality and the way we play — it’s a little different from the rest of the league. Maybe that catches people off guard initially, but I wouldn’t say we’re sneaking up on anybody anymore at this point in the season.”
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(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
