Amen Thompson

With both a first-time All-Star and a former title-winning floor general missing from the Houston Rockets’ rotation on February 3, 2025, opportunities were there for Amen Thompson’s gifted athleticism to be more present than ever. In great irony, his night’s most memorable highlight arrived by simply being wherever Precious Achiuwa wasn’t. Likely forgiven if he opted for a safer shot selection with just six seconds remaining and the floor’s 94-foot distance to race, Houston’s second-year sensation rolls the dice, nearly imbalancing New York’s center with a swift in-and-out dribble. Eyeing something more with a 6-foot-8 obstacle now eliminated, Thompson springs skyward, sequencing the smooth handle with a two-handed flush that leaves even the New York Knicks’ truehearted crowd in a respectable awe. The Rockets’ shorthanded lineups eventually resurfaced in defeat, but not before Thompson produced a third career triple-double, alongside becoming NBA history’s sixth-youngest to ever do so at Madison Square Garden. Hours removed from also being named the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month, Thompson kept momentum rolling, accumulating 25 points (on 9-of-17 shooting), accompanied by 11 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, and a block.