The Houston Rockets bounced back after a loss to the Miami Heat a few days ago. They claimed a dramatic win against the Washington Wizards. However, just as the team looks to make a strong push to end the regular season, uncertainty may have struck. A worrisome update came at the end of the game surrounding Amen Thompson.

The Rockets’ promising two-way talent exited the game and held his right ankle before going back to the locker room for evaluation in the fourth quarter at the 8:11 mark. It wasn’t a specific play that caused the injury, which is listed as an ankle ailment without any return timeline.

Following Houston’s 123-118 victory over Washington, Houston head coach Ime Udoka spoke to the media. As reported by Houston Chronicle reporter Varun Shankar: “Amen rolled his ankle in the fourth quarter per Udoka, [to be determined] on severity”.

Since the game just concluded, there’s no conclusive update on the extent of Thompson’s injury.

As for his performance, Thompson’s start was rather slow. He missed his first four shots and didn’t get on the board until there were fewer than four minutes left in the first half. But once he found his rhythm, he missed just one more shot the rest of his playing time. He stacked 22 points on an efficient 10-of-15 from the floor and grabbed 12 boards to go with it.

The explosive point-forward had been dealing with a minor niggle. Notably, Thompson missed a game against the Sacramento Kings due to quad tendinitis. That was only the second time Amen Thompson missed a game for the Rockets this season. The tenacious defender also averages the second-highest minutes per game in the NBA.

As for ankle ailments, Amen Thompson suffered from an injury setback last season. He rolled his left ankle in a blowout win against the New Orleans Pelicans. The injury sidelined him for a few weeks, but did not hamper his development.

He’s already become an integral part of Ime Udoka’s culture in Houston. The team thrives off his toughness and agility on both ends of the floor. Moreover, Thompson is in the midst of a breakout campaign, averaging 17.3 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, all career-highs for the 23-year-old.

The Rockets might now want to play it safe with Thompson. So, if he misses any games, expect Reed Sheppard to cover the PG arena, with Dorian Finney-Smith, Aaron Holiday, and Josh Okogie chipping in off the bench to keep things steady. 

The Rockets survive the Wizards’ hot shooting night

The Washington Wizards didn’t have Trae Young, Anthony Davis, or Alex Sarr. A 37-22 Rockets team looked to be the clear favorites going into the contest. However, Washington decided to showcase their resilience. They made the Rockets work for their victory, coming very close to executing a fourth-quarter turnaround.

The Wizards outscored the Rockets by nine in the final period of the five-point loss. They also tied the season-high mark for 19 threes in the game, shooting at an absurd 54.3% clip tonight. Young forward Bilal Coulibaly stepped things up, scoring 23, which included a 5/7 three-point shooting performance in just 27 minutes.

But the Rockets’ firepower ultimately came through. Kevin Durant recorded his third-straight 30+ point game for Houston. He and center Alperen Sengun combined for 62. The latter held his nerves during the fourth period. Sengun added 11 points and eight rebounds in the fourth quarter, helping the Rockets vanquish the Wizards.

Washington couldn’t combat Houston’s offensive rebounding. Even without Steven Adams, the Rockets grabbed 21 offensive rebounds. Those resulted in a 28-18 second-chance points advantage. Amen Thompson’s intensity and athleticism contributed heavily towards the result, besides Sengun and Clint Capela’s formidable activity on the glass.

The Rockets are picking up momentum at the right time. After inconsistent performances and locker room disturbance, the last thing they want is to lose Amen Thompson. The young star managed to play 31 minutes before heading to the locker room.

That might mean his injury is nothing serious and merely a minor bump from how hard he’s been going all season.