The Houston Rockets lock the second seed in the NBA playoffs and are waiting to find their next opponent.
On the epic final day of the NBA season, the LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors fought to lock down playoff spots.
Meanwhile, attracting attention, the Houston Rockets limited the number of starters minutes, allowing the Denver Nuggets to register a 126-111 victory.
It will not be eased due to the Rockets in the NBA playoffs. It followed an impressive season, which rose from 11th place in the 2023-24 Western Conference to 2nd place in 2024-25.
Former NBA star Keyon Dooling believes the Houston Rockets have one of the key stars to watch in the NBA playoffs.
Dooling told the All the Smoke podcast he hopes Amen Thompson will make a series of breakout performances.
Asked about his young player, the former Utah Jazz Player Development Coach replied.
He states:
“He is an athletic freak of nature and I think in the playoffs his game is built for physicality.
“I think he’ll do a breakout performance in the playoffs.”
The Houston Rockets will play the winners of the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Warriors experience has become a favorite for them, and despite his faith in the individual talents of Amen Thompson, Dooling is worried about Rockets’ playoff chances.
He said: “They are built for the future, but they don’t have experience now.”
It’s worth noting that Amen Thompson recently enjoyed defensive success against the Warriors, limiting Stephen Curry to three points in the season throughout the game.
Curry praised him and commented:
“He’s the best athlete, he’s just found his lane and how he can make an impact. You could tilt your hat on him, and he’s gotten so much better.