Amen Thompson Continues Offensive Spark in Rockets Win vs. Pelicans

The recent run from 'Headband Amen' has been something special for the Houston Rockets. Amen Thompson has taken serious strides as of late, and it's saving their offense, providing legitimate help to Kevin Durant.

Thompson most recently put up 23 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and a steal in Friday's 107-105 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. It wasn't easy against a team gunning for a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the Rockets' star guard was impressive enough to elevate them.

Durant scored nine of Houston's 27 fourth-quarter points and seven of its 11 in clutch time (final five minutes), nailing the game-winning jumper with 7.6 seconds to go. However, Thompson got the team going in the first half.

He put up 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists in the first 24 minutes of action, which led to Durant's second half of 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. It was a great balance between the two, and while Thompson wasn't as much of a scoring weapon after the break, he managed to be a ball-stopper on the defensive end while rebounding and playmaking.

After the game, KD had praise for the youngster, noting that he nearly notched his first triple-double of the season and the fifth of his career.

"Amen was good all night," Durant said to Vanessa Richardson of Space City Home Network. "Handled the ball, almost had a triple-double, playing great defense. Those last two defensive plays is what won us the game."

One of the plays Durant is referring to came with less than 15 seconds to play. Dejounte Murray, who finished with a game-high 35 points, caught the ball on a sideline inbound and stepped out of bounds before the Rockets could intentionally foul. It's what set up the game-winner from Houston's top scorer.

Dejounte Murray steps out of bounds after intentional foul by Amen Thompson for a turnover pic.twitter.com/wEbL6yysVX
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) March 14, 2026

Thompson is averaging nearly 18 points per game on the season, but as of late, he's stepped up by both increasing his output and efficiency. Over Houston's last eight games, he's averaged 21.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game on 58% shooting from the field and 50% from three.

Opponents are leaving the 6-foot-7 wing open in three-point range, and he hasn't attempted more than one shot from beyond the arc in that eight-game stretch. However, half the time, he has made them pay. This is exactly the kind of spark the Rockets need with the playoffs approaching.