Amen Thompson’s last-second rejection of Victor Wembanyama turned a potential tying basket into Houston’s defining defensive moment in Austin.
Amen Thompson’s block on Victor Wembanyama gave the Houston Rockets the stop they needed in Friday’s 114-110 win over San Antonio. With the Spurs threatening to force overtime at Moody Center on October 23, Thompson met the final close-range attempt rather than conceding the matchup.
De’Aaron Fox delivered the ball to Wembanyama near the basket with Houston protecting a two-point lead. As the San Antonio Express-News reported, Thompson’s rejection came with 0.6 seconds remaining, leaving almost no time for a second chance.
The play was not an isolated contribution from a defensive specialist having an otherwise quiet night. Thompson also supplied 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals, making nine of his 15 shots while recording two blocks.
That combination matters for Houston: a player producing on offense was still available to finish the job against San Antonio’s most imposing target. The final possession offered a particularly clear example of why defensive assignments cannot be reduced to height alone.
Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun were important parts of the same win, while Thompson supplied the image that traveled beyond the final score. The NBA shared the decisive rejection and a separate slow-motion angle, giving the play room to stand on its own.
One stop does not define a season, especially in its opening week. It can still reveal a team’s options in a close game, and Houston left Austin with evidence that Thompson can handle an unusually difficult assignment when a single basket changes the result.
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