Amen Thompson loses to twin Ausar and the Pistons

Given how much twins Amen and Ausar Thompson are lumped together, even when being praised by NBA stars for their athleticism, head-to-head matchups provide an opportunity for separation.

The Detroit Pistons’ 107-96 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday was Ausar’s first NBA win against Amen. And although the brothers did not spend many possessions matched up against one another, with Ausar defending Rockets star Jalen Green and Amen guarding Pistons star Cade Cunningham, after the final buzzer they were drawn together like magnets.

They shared an embrace on the court, but Amen Thompson was content for it to be brief, knowing the taunting that awaited.

“I’m not even gonna open my phone, bro,” the Rockets guard said. “I can’t even do it. I got his messages on silent.”

“I’m just gonna brag,” Ausar confirmed. “Talk to him about it all day.”

Amen had 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Rockets while Ausar had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pistons.

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Bragging rights are at a premium between the twins, who were drafted back-to-back with the No. 4 (Amen) and No. 5 (Ausar) picks of the 2023 NBA draft after they’d spent most of their basketball lives as teammates — in two-on-one neighborhood court games against their older brother, Troy, and on official school teams.

Before Monday, the last time Ausar Thompson got a win against Amen Thompson was when they played on opposing Overtime Elite squads during their senior year of high school and Ausar’s team won the championship.

“The next year we were on the same team, or else I would have beat him then, too,” Ausar said.

In the NBA, they’ve found themselves on different teams with similar trajectories. The Rockets ascended from the bottom of the standings in 2022-23 to a 41-41 record last season and are second in the Western Conference this season. The Pistons’ rebuild is a year behind, going from a 14-win campaign last season to a 22-21 record after Monday’s win.

Despite the parallels, Ausar Thompson said he and his brother never compare notes.

“Honestly, no. But last year he was talking about, ‘Y’all had 14 wins, if you flip that around that’s how many wins we had,’ ” Ausar said. “But neither of us made the playoffs, so we didn’t do anything, you know what I’m saying? Unless he wins a championship or I win a championship here, I didn’t do nothing to beat him.”

Because the Rockets and Pistons are in opposite conferences, they only play each other twice a season. The Rockets won both matchups last season. This season, Ausar did not play in the Pistons’ Nov. 10 loss to the Rockets in Detroit because he was still recovering from a blood clot issue that prematurely ended his rookie season last March.

“I was just hoping they boxed him out, honestly, just hoping maybe he got a turnover or something,” Ausar said. “I usually root for him but today, I couldn’t do that.”

Ausar returned to the court just before Thanksgiving on a minutes restriction and rejoined the starting lineup earlier this month. In addition to Monday being Ausar’s first NBA win against Amen, it was the brothers’ first game starting against each other in the NBA.

“It’s something we dreamed of our whole lives,” Amen said. “First start against each other, damn, that’s crazy. I didn’t think about that.”

Amen began this season as the sixth man off the Rockets’ bench but became a fixture in the starting lineup after injuries to Dillon Brooks, who is now back, and Jabari Smith Jr., who remains out with a broken hand. Thompson’s impact is undeniable. In his 12 starts, he is averaging 16.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.9 blocks on 57.1% shooting. The Rockets are 9-3 when he starts.

Ausar said that while he was sidelined, he enjoyed watching Amen’s success.

“I had become his biggest fan,” he said. “We talked a lot. That’s my guy for life.”

Asked whether his brother’s health weighed on his mind, Amen shook his head.

“Nah, because he’s different,” he said. “Y’all couldn’t even understand Ausar. He’s great on a different level, so I knew he was gonna bounce back, and I know he’s gonna keep bouncing back and do great.”

More than the brotherly smack talk, Ausar said, he cherished the opportunity to beat the Rockets for the first time in his career as the Pistons continue to improve.

“I’m just trying to cross teams off my beating bucket list,” he said. “So, got like six more than last year.”