What Led to Rockets Coach Ime Udoka Trusting Amen Thompson Down the Stretch vs. Suns?
HOUSTON — Amen Thompson has established himself as a vital part of coach Ime Udoka's rotation. Friday night, the rookie guard from OverTime Elite had one of his most impactful performances, which led to the Houston Rockets taking a 114-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
Thompson finished with his sixth-career double-double, recording 15 points and 10 rebounds inside the Toyota Center.
Thompson's play showcased his ongoing development into a prominent two-way player while gaining Udoka's trust. He played the third most minutes of his career against the Suns, notching 33 minutes in the win while registering 10 in the fourth quarter.
Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) attempts to block a shot by Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second quarter at Toyota Center.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
"I like the way he is playing," Udoka said. "He is growing on the nightly basis. He gives us a ton of versatility. His activity on both ends was great."
As great of a performance Thompson had on the offensive end, he made his most significant impact on defense.
He added a pair of timely blocks during the second half. His most impressive block came with 9:36 left in the fourth quarter when he rejected Bol Bol's shot attempt. His first block came during the third quarter amid Kevin Durant's mid-range shot attempt.
Udoka said the Rockets needed Thompson's defensive skill set, given that Dillon Brooks spent the entire night in foul trouble.
The decision to stick with Thompson down the stretch forced Udoka to play his first-year prospect over Jalen Green. The third-year guard spent all but one second on the bench. He finished with 21 minutes played while scoring 14 points.
"Defensively, Amen helped with his versatility," Udoka said. "We liked what he was doing, especially with Brooks out, and with Phoenix sticking with Durant and [Devin] Booker. We started the quarter with Aaron [Holiday] to give Fred [VanVleet] a break, and they started to pick on him. We wanted to have size in there. So, until we could get Dillon back in, Amen was the best player to do that."
Thompson began the season with questions surrounding his fit within Udoka's rotation. Over the past month, he has played his way into a vital role. In addition to Green, Thompson's emergence has also cut into the playing time of Jae'Sean Tate — who received his first DNP of the season.
While playing 33.0 minutes over the previous seven games, Thompson has averaged 14.0 points on 60.3 percent shooting from the field and 10.4 rebounds.
"I'm just doing whatever my team needs me to do to win," Thompson said. "Whether its crashing, locking up [on the defensive end], that's what I am going to do. If I have to score or pass, that's what I am going to do."
