As the basketball world continues to grow enamored by the highflying, two-way style of the Houston Rockets, conversations involving Amen Thompson often drift to one question: just how high is the second-year star’s ceiling? Drawing inspiration from a late great, and Celtic-conquering former legend in purple-and-gold, Thompson offered a loud, yet unspoken answer on January 27, 2025: a level higher than the NBA’s defending champions could reach. Over a 42-minute showcase that left the Boston Celtics overwhelmed, Thompson’s tape featured plays of every type. Of course, eye-opening alley-oop flushes, skyscraper-like rebounds through traffic — followed by putback finishes — and brief glimpses of his jump-shooting potential made appearances. Elevating his game to meet the heightened occasion, though, Thompson had something special in mind during Houston’s final play, turning Boston’s miscommunicated inbound defense into a blur-quick drive, misdirection dribble, and ultimately, a game-winner over Jaylen Brown. Bordering on a 20-point, 10-rebound, five-assist average over his last 10 games to date, Thompson again put sky-high potential on showcase, running up 33 points (on 13-of-19 shooting), supported by nine rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block, and a 3-pointer. · Jan 28, 2025