Amen Thompson posts rare multi‑category playoff stat line in Lakers–Rockets game

Amen Thompson filled every box on the stat sheet Friday night, and the Rockets still walked off down 3-0 to the Lakers. (sports.yahoo.com) (apnews.com) Houston lost 112-108 in overtime in Game 3 after leading by six points with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. LeBron James hit a tying 3-pointer with 13 seconds remaining, and Marcus Smart scored eight points in overtime. (apnews.com) Thompson finished with 26 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks. Yahoo Sports reported that no player had previously reached at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three blocks in an NBA playoff game. (sports.yahoo.com) (fanduel.com) That line captured the two parts of Thompson’s game Houston leans on most: he can disrupt ballhandlers on the perimeter and still rotate over as a rim protector. At 6-foot-7, he spent the night creating extra possessions and erasing shots at both ends of the floor. (sports.yahoo.com) (basketball-reference.com) The timing made it harsher for Houston. The Rockets were already missing Kevin Durant, and the collapse left them one loss from elimination in the Western Conference first round. (apnews.com) Thompson was the No. 4 pick in the 2023 draft and made the 2024-25 All-Defensive first team, so the defensive part of the stat line fits his résumé. The scoring load was the bigger swing Friday, after he had 17 points in Game 1 and 16 in Game 2. (basketball-reference.com) (espn.com) Houston now heads to Game 4 needing a win to extend the series. Thompson’s Game 3 line will stay in the record book either way, but the Lakers left with the result that mattered. (usatoday.com) (apnews.com)