He's not. Nobody is. Curry gave Thompson, who is already probably the best defender in the league not named Victor Wembanyama, a quick reality check with 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting in Game 1. He had 36 in Game 3 with Houston's entire defense chasing him in the absence of Jimmy Butler .

A snapshot that perfectly synopsized Amen Thompson's brilliant Game 5 came late in the Houston Rockets' dominant first half Wednesday night. The second-year wing stripped the ball from Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry near midcourt,

With his team down 3-1 in its first-round playoff matchup against the Warriors, Amen Thompson leaned against the wall and stared out into the gym at Houston's Memorial Hermann training facility, smiling as smooth R&B music hummed in the background.