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HOUSTON -- Rockets forward Amen Thompson was a late scratch for Tuesday's home game versus the Atlanta Hawks with what the team listed as left ankle soreness.
Tari Eason replaced Thompson in the starting lineup, just as Eason typically did when Thompson missed six games with a left ankle sprain earlier this month. The ankle was initially sprained late in Houston's March 8 victory over New Orleans.
To say the least, it's a significant absence for the Rockets, who entered Tuesday at 46-26 and in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings. In 35 games as a starter this season, Thompson is averaging an impressive 16.3 points (55.3% FG), 9.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.7 steals in 37.2 minutes per game.
Standing 6-foot-7 with elite athleticism and versatility, Thompson is also one of Houston's best defensive players. Offensively, the second-year draft pick — selected at No. 4 overall in the 2023 first round — has proven capable of operating as both an off-ball frontcourt player and as a point guard.
This story will be updated postgame with comments from head coach Ime Udoka regarding Thompson's outlook for future games. The news of Thompson's removal from the lineup came down only moments before tipoff, so it was not accounted for in pregame interviews.
More: Stephen A. Smith sees Amen Thompson as future NBA Defensive Player of the Year
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets forward Amen Thompson sidelined again by left ankle injury
Continue reading...
Tari Eason replaced Thompson in the starting lineup, just as Eason typically did when Thompson missed six games with a left ankle sprain earlier this month. The ankle was initially sprained late in Houston's March 8 victory over New Orleans.
To say the least, it's a significant absence for the Rockets, who entered Tuesday at 46-26 and in the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference standings. In 35 games as a starter this season, Thompson is averaging an impressive 16.3 points (55.3% FG), 9.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.7 steals in 37.2 minutes per game.
Standing 6-foot-7 with elite athleticism and versatility, Thompson is also one of Houston's best defensive players. Offensively, the second-year draft pick — selected at No. 4 overall in the 2023 first round — has proven capable of operating as both an off-ball frontcourt player and as a point guard.
This story will be updated postgame with comments from head coach Ime Udoka regarding Thompson's outlook for future games. The news of Thompson's removal from the lineup came down only moments before tipoff, so it was not accounted for in pregame interviews.
More: Stephen A. Smith sees Amen Thompson as future NBA Defensive Player of the Year
This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets forward Amen Thompson sidelined again by left ankle injury
Continue reading...
