BOSTON — To Amen Thompson's surprise, with five seconds left in a tied midseason game against the defending NBA champions, Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka called a play for the second-year forward.
"I liked the matchup," said Udoka, who coached the Boston Celtics to the Finals in 2022.
Thompson, who cracked the starting lineup earlier this month for the second-place team in the Western Conference, was being defended by 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Thompson calmly corralled the inbounds pass, drove his Celtics counterpart to the right block, stopped on a dime, took one step to his left and drained the first game-winner of his NBA career.