Houston Rockets second-year guard Amen Thompson had extra motivation for Friday night’s game against the Miami Heat. Almost three months after starring in a serious altercation that resulted in six ejections, Thompson faced the player he claimed started everything, Tyler Herro.
After the Rockets tied the regular-season series with a 102-98 win at Kaseya Center, with Thompson scoring 18 points (8-of-14 from the field), grabbing nine rebounds, dishing five assists and rounding up the night with seven steals, the young guard reflected on his past encounter with Herro.
Talking with reporter Vanessa Richardson, the forward noted a difference in Herro’s behavior.
“I thought Fred (VanVleet) set the tone, really set the tone on him,” Thompson said. “And then my plays to guard him, I mean, he wasn’t doing the thing this time, so, yeah.”
“I mean, he wasn’t doing the thing this time, so….yeah.”
-Amen Thompson on Tyler Herro pic.twitter.com/CEqlb9RdPh
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) March 22, 2025
On Dec. 29, Thompson slammed Herro to the floor, which caused a huge fight between the two players and other members of the Rockets and Heat. The duo became entangled as Miami attempted to inbound the ball, which led Thompson to grab Herro’s jersey and throw him to the floor.
Herro led the Heat to a 104-100 win with 27 points, six rebounds and nine assists, sending a message to Thompson after the game was over.
“Guess that’s what happens when someone’s scoring, throwing dimes, doing the whole thing,” Herro said, per ESPN. “I’d get mad, too.”
The story was different this time, with Thompson helping VanVleet (37 points) and the Rockets win their ninth consecutive game and giving Herro and Co. a 10th consecutive loss.