In a nail-biter in Austin, the Houston Rockets came out on top 114-110 against the San Antonio Spurs, all because of a jaw-dropping block by Amen Thompson. With just five seconds left and Houston clinging to a two-point lead, Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox floated a pass to Victor Wembanyama, who spun towards the basket for what looked like a sure dunk. But Thompson, leaping like he’s on springs, swatted the shot away with his 7-foot reach, leaving the Moody Center crowd in stunned silence.
After the game, Kevin Durant was buzzing with excitement, rushing over to Thompson and asking, ‘What the hell was wrong with him, thinking he could just lay it up so easily?’ Thompson just laughed it off, saying he knew they’d try to get Wembanyama on a smaller guy, and he’s got the hops to contest.
Thompson ended up with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two blocks, and two steals, though he was a minus-12 on the night. But that final play showed his real impact. Coach Ime Udoka praised the defense, noting how they switched well and pushed Wembanyama off his spot early, letting Thompson use his athleticism to shut him down one-on-one.
Offensively, Thompson also got his own back, dunking on Wembanyama earlier in the third quarter and sinking an and-1 free throw. But the star of the night was Alperen Sengun, who dropped a game-high 29 points with seven rebounds and seven assists, dominating the Spurs’ bigs. Sengun scored 18 in the second half, with 14 in the fourth alone, and said he just had to read the game—work when they didn’t double, find teammates when they did.
The victory gives the Rockets their first 2-0 start since 2017-18, and Thompson was thrilled, saying it felt amazing to celebrate in front of the Spurs’ bench after such a hard-fought win.
