Amen!: Thompson’s Game-Winner Lifts Rockets Past Celtics, 114-112
Mamba Mentality. DB Garden. Rising Stars.
“I feel like Kobe,” said Amen Thompson after his game-winning shot lifted the Rockets past the Celtics, 114-112, on Monday night. Twin hit a floater with 0.7 seconds remaining that won the game for Houston, extending their winning streak to three games. This entire team is playing with Kobe’s Mamba Mentality, and its impressive to witness. After hanging with the defending champs for three quarters, Boston built a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter. And so the Rockets found themselves facing a twelve-point deficit, 101-89, with around ten minutes in the game. But this Houston squad doesn’t go away easily. Fueled by Twin and Dillon Brooks, the Rockets stormed back to shock the Celtics on Thompson’s game-winner. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 28 points, and Jayson Tatum added 19 points after going scoreless in the first half. But the C’s All-Star duo were outplayed by The Villain and Twin on Monday night.
The victory is Houston’s third straight win during this incredibly tough stretch of the schedule. It’s also Ime Udoka’s first win over his former team since becoming Houston’s coach. The squad’s last defeat, the disappointing daytime loss to the Pistons at Toyota Center, seems like ages ago. After beating the team with the NBA’s best record at the time (the Cavs) twice in a row, the Rockets have now taken down the defending champs. All in a matter of three games.
On a night where Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green combined to score only 23 points, Houston’s latest win was the Dillon Brooks and Twin Show. The duo combined to score 69 points, roughly 61% of the team’s total points. And before Thompson’s game-winning shot, Brooks turned TD Garden into DB Garden. The Villain scored a season-high 36 points, including a franchise-record tying 10 three-point shots. He gleefully torched and pestered Boston’s players, bench, and crowd all night.
Including the game-winning floater with 0.7 seconds that secured the Rockets victory, Thompson scored a career-high 33 points, grabbed 10 boards, and dished out 4 assists. If Jabari Smith Jr. hadn’t fractured his hand, Thompson wouldn’t be in the starting lineup as often as he has been since Bari’s injury. But with each passing game, it’s a move that’s appearing more and more likely to stick.
Head Coach Ime Udoka won’t admit it, but given Twin’s motor, coachable attributes, and talent, Thompson is coach’s favorite player. It will be hard to see him removing Thompson from the starting unit once Smith Jr. returns from injury. No offense to Bari, but it’s become evident Twin is the better player, and Houston’s a better team with Thompson in the starting lineup. The Rockets are now 12-3 with Thompson as a starter this season. And on a team full of rising stars, Twin was officially named to the Rising Stars Game (eligible for rookies and sophomores) at All-Star Weekend in San Francisco this year.
Up next, Houston travels to Atlanta tomorrow night for the second-half of a back-to-back. The matchup with the Hawks is a makeup game that was initially scheduled on MLK Day, but was postponed due to inclement weather in the Atlanta area. Both the Rockets and Hawks will be playing the day after a road game, so there won’t be any rest advantage for either squad. Hopefully Houston can continue their impressive run, and continue playing with the Mamba Mentality as their tough road trip continues in Atlanta on Tuesday night.