Jalen Green tied his career high with 42 points in Monday's 120-118 comeback win against the Memphis Grizzlies, but that does not overshadow the performance of Amen Thompson, who recorded an impressive stat line of his own.
Thompson garnered 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, five blocks and two steals over 41 minutes to mark his 10th double-double of the season. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is averaging 15.6 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals over his last eight games, seven of which Thompson was in the starting lineup.
"A lot of guys are benefiting from him being in the lineup," Rockets head coach Ime Udoka said.
Thompson replaced Jabari Smith Jr. as a starter after Smith broke his left hand during shootaround and will be out 4-6 weeks.
While Thompson's shooting isn't the highlight of his game, he adds a faster pace, ball-handling skills and strong defense to a starting lineup that has led the Rockets to the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference.
"He's going to compliment guys on both sides of the ball," Udoka said.
Thompson's defensive instincts have taken pressure off his fellow starters, especially with Udoka matching him up against the opponent's more athletic players.
"He blocks shots that normally guys can't get to...I'm not surprised by anything he's doing defensively," Udoka said.
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