Amen Thompson Talks Extra Motivation Ahead of Rockets and Spurs

The Houston Rockets will conclude their five-game home stand as they host the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday night. Tuesday matchup is the second meeting of the season between the two teams as they faced off earlier in the season in San Antonio. The Spurs came away with a 121-110 victory over the Rockets.

The Rockets will face the Spurs three more times this season, including Tuesday's game. Currently, the Rockets are trailing the Spurs by 3.5 games, but are only 2 games behind in the loss column. That is one of the reasons Tuesday's game is even more important because a loss by the Rockets would mean the best they could do is tie the season series, and they would have to win both games for that to happen.

The Rockets will need their two big stars Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun to step up as the Spurs have been one of the surprise teams in the league this season. The Spurs come into tonight's matchup 30-13 and second in the Western Conference.

Durant and Thompson aren't the only players who will need step up. The Rockets will also need their up-and-coming star guard, Amen Thompson, to continue his great play if the Rockets want to come away with the win tonight. Thompson has been one of the Rockets' best players since December 1st, averaging 20 points on 54 percent shooting.

The Rockets will need that same play from Thompson Tuesday night, and any motivation from Thompson could propel him to a big game. Thompson spoke to the media after shootaround and discussed his extra motivation facing off against the Spurs.

Amen Thompson talks motivation ahead of the Rockets matchup with the Spurs

Going into the 2023 draft, every team was hoping to land the number one spot. One of the most significant prospects in NBA history, Victor Wembanyama, was the unanimous number one overall pick. The Rockets had the same odds as three other teams to land the number one pick, but the Spurs were the team that came away with the number one spot in the NBA lottery.

Even after falling to fourth, the Rockets felt it was a good draft and that they could still come away with a good player. That is precisely what happened: their fourth pick, Amen Thompson, has become one of the best young stars in the NBA and already has a first-team All-Defense award under his belt.

Thompson, now in his fourth season, is having the best year of his career and is almost a lock for another All-Defense award and possibly even an All-Star appearance. Rockets on SI asked Thompson if there is any extra motivation going up against a player who was drafted ahead of him.

Amen Thompson was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, the same draft that Victor Wembanyama went number one.

I asked Amen if there was any extra motivation going against a player drafted ahead of him or after a few seasons it's just another game.

“Yeah it's definitely… pic.twitter.com/jjTsFcVixe
— Lachard Binkley (@BinkleyHoops) January 20, 2026

Thompson felt, at that time and probably now, that he was the best player in that draft, and he wants to use this opportunity against the Spurs tonight to continue making that case. The Rockets look to win their second straight to close out their five-game home stand as they host the Spurs at 7 PM CT.