Plenty were already celebrating the basket that would send the game into overtime. Victor Wembanyama had the ball in the paint and the size advantage, and was turning to lay it in the rim as he has done a thousand times to make it 112-112 after a tough battle between the Spurs and Rockets destined to last five minutes more. There’s no way to avoid it, those present kept repeating.
Everyone except one.
Because although the Frenchman is, with the permission of Tacko Fall and his two-way contract, the tallest man in the league, Amen Thompson took it upon himself to remind him that there are physical prodigies who can make up the difference in centimeters with explosiveness. And, above all, with the faith needed to try their luck on a play that everyone else would consider impossible.
AMEN THOMPSON SEALS IT FOR HOUSTON WITH THE REJECTION ❌ The Rockets secure the win vs. the Spurs in Austin! https://t.co/YyRxoWcPVs
— NBA (@NBA) October 24, 2026
So, just when it seemed nothing could stand between the ball and the rim, the guard produced a block destined to become one of the defensive plays of the year. Given his theoretical disadvantage, the names involved, and its importance in giving Houston the victory. A win that, given the opponent and the context, begins to establish the Texans as a team to be reckoned with in the West. Perhaps it was true that, with Fred VanVleet back, this project can really shine.
A matter of positions
In an era of versatility and players who can do everything, the five classic positions sometimes insist on reminding us that basketball wasn’t invented in the 2010s and that each of them has a reason to exist. And, for a team that last year fell victim to its inability to structure its offence, a point guard like Fred VanVleet is an addition that changes the whole picture even if he only contributes at an organisational level. But if on top of that he comes back scoring and defending as always, the story is different.
Because now all the pieces that for months seemed to fit awkwardly start to make sense. Amen Thompson, author of 20 points, found more space and saw his cuts to the basket rewarded, Kevin Durant, who also finished with 20, could limit himself to scoring and boost his off-ball threat, and overall, with Fred taking the reins and Marcus Smart relieving him from the bench, everyone could better embrace their roles at both ends of the court.
The result was a more fluid attack with more ideas, something that already happened on Wednesday in Dallas but gains weight by repeating itself against what appears destined to be one of the best defences in the competition. A defence that, nonetheless, was diminished tonight. And although playing with a better structure had a lot to do with it, it was essentially one man who delivered the final blow.