Despite 20 turnovers, Thompson’s season-high 31 points fueled a dominant Rockets victory, showcasing their depth and resilience against the Suns.
The Rockets came out swinging Friday night and never really looked back- even with Alperen Şengün unavailable. Houston thumped the Suns 117-98, steamrolling Phoenix despite coughing up 20 turnovers to the Suns’ 13.
Şengün sat out due to illness, per game notes, which meant the paint was supposed to tilt toward Phoenix, but Houston made sure it didn’t. From tipoff, they played with pace and purpose. Minutes into the first quarter, they looked rusty. But by the second quarter, they flipped the switch.
Amen Thompson dropped a season high 31 points, slicing through Phoenix’s defense with reckless restraint. He shot an efficient clip doing it, going 12-for-17 from the field and hitting multiple tough finishes that completely broke the Suns’ defensive shape. Meanwhile Kevin Durant poured in 28- enough to crack 31,000+ career points and move him into elite company.
Houston’s second quarter was violent- they turned what looked like a shootout into a demolition job. By halftime, the lead was already getting unhealthy, and the Suns looked lost. The Rockets shot over 59-percent from the field and nearly 56-percent from three as a team, which made Phoenix pay for every single defensive mistake. Even with the turnovers, Houston’s efficiency erased every Suns run before it even started.
Phoenix shot a cold 39-percent from the floor and an icy 13.9-percent from three. What really punched through, though, was that the Rockets still won big despite the 20 turnovers- a number that normally derails teams. But this isn’t a normal team. They rebound. They run lanes. They punish mistakes.
On defense, they locked down just when Phoenix tried to claw back, collapsed on drive lanes, rotated hard, and cut off space. On offense, Durant and Thompson kept feeding the fire, stretching the floor and doing damage. It felt like every time Phoenix tried to build momentum, Houston answered with a punch that took the air out of the arena.
And even with their chief big man out, Houston’s frontcourt held- Jabari Smith Jr., Josh Okogie, Steven Adams, and the rest kept size and length on the floor, forcing Phoenix to settle for bad shots.
This win says something loud about this Rockets squad: depth matters, composure matters, and when you combine those with talent, you don’t need a flawless night to beat a good team.
If they keep showing this kind of resolve when pieces go missing, they’re not just a contender. They’re built. And they’re ready for whatever the West throws at them.