Amen Thompson Blocks Victor Wembanyama to Seal Rockets Win Over Spurs
- Victor Wembanyama stands 7-foot-4, yet a defensive play by an opponent roughly 25 centimeters shorter decided a tense Texas derby on October 23, 2026.
- With five seconds remaining and San Antonio trailing 112-110, Wembanyama called for the post entry pass, spun, and elevated toward the rim with his long arms extended for...
- Thompson finished the evening with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks, according to the Houston Chronicle data cited by buzz.sport.fr.
Victor Wembanyama stands 7-foot-4, yet a defensive play by an opponent roughly 25 centimeters shorter decided a tense Texas derby on October 23, 2026. Playing at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, the San Antonio Spurs fell to 0-2 on the young season following a 114-110 defeat against the Houston Rockets, as reported by buzz.sport.fr.
Ten Inches of Separation on the Game-Deciding Block
With five seconds remaining and San Antonio trailing 112-110, Wembanyama called for the post entry pass, spun, and elevated toward the rim with his long arms extended for what appeared to be an uncontested equalizing layup. Instead, Houston guard Amen Thompson—listed at 6-foot-7—leapt and swatted the ball away in midair. USAToday.com noted the roughly 25-centimeter height difference between the two players on the decisive play.
Amen Thompson's block was actually Victor Wembanyama's SECOND heartbreak in the final five seconds. 😭Wemby had just banked a long three-pointer, but Spurs coach Mitch Johnson called timeout before he released it, so the shot didn't count.San Antonio came out of that timeout…
Thompson finished the evening with 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks, according to the Houston Chronicle data cited by buzz.sport.fr. I can jump very high,
Thompson said after the game, as quoted by the Houston Chronicle. I wouldn’t bother trying to continue to post up like that, but hey, if they want to try they can.
ExpressNews.com reported that Spurs guard Dylan Harper called the defensive stop a freakish athletic play that happens once in a million times.
Scoring Performances and a Nullified Shot
The defensive stop capped an intense contest where multiple stars shouldered heavy offensive loads. Alperen Şengün led Houston with 29 points—including 14 in the fourth quarter alone—alongside seven rebounds and seven assists, according to buzz.sport.fr. Kevin Durant added 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in a symbolic return to Austin, where he played college basketball during the 2006–2007 season. What’s wrong with Wembanyama to think he was going to be able to lay that ball up so easily?
Durant asked, as reported by buzz.sport.fr.
Wembanyama bounced back from a difficult season opener by posting 25 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks, shooting 9-of-21 from the floor according to USAToday.com and ExpressNews.com. However, San Antonio also saw a late three-pointer from Wembanyama wiped off the scoreboard because Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson had called a timeout five seconds prior to the shot, as detailed by the Associated Press via buzz.sport.fr. Fred VanVleet ultimately secured the win for Houston by sinking two free throws with 0.6 seconds left on the clock.
Quick Turnaround on the Texas Road Trip
The loss drops last year’s Western Conference champions to an 0-2 start, matching the slow beginning of the defending champion New York Knicks, as reported by ExpressNews.com. San Antonio starting five players all finished in double figures, with De’Aaron Fox contributing 19 points and a game-high nine assists.
The Spurs have little time to digest the defeat. San Antonio travels to Dallas on Saturday to face the Dallas Mavericks in a back-to-back fixture, where the Mavericks could be playing without forward Cooper Flagg after he sustained a shoulder injury against Indiana, according to ExpressNews.com.