The Detroit Pistons get a big boost from the small additions of Ausar Thompson

HOUSTON – Ausar Thompson had Monday’s date marked on his calendar for months.

It was the Detroit Pistons’ annual trip to Houston to face the Rockets – and Thompson’s third game against his twin brother Amen, as they were selected fifth and fourth overall, respectively, in 2023.

However, Ausar’s journey to the game was definitely different than last season’s encounters. A blood clot diagnosis in March delayed his 2024-25 season debut by a month and cost him the Pistons’ first game against the Rockets on Nov. 10 at Little Caesars Arena. The NBA cleared his return a day later, on November 11th, and he made his season debut two weeks later, on November 25th.

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Since his return, Thompson has been a big part of the Pistons’ success. And he helped them end a two-game losing streak and get back above .500 with a win over the Rockets on Monday – another record win for a team that has won 11 of 15 games since Dec. 21.

Monday marked Thompson’s seventh consecutive start for Detroit; He finished with 11 points and nine rebounds for Houston. (His brother, meanwhile, had 17 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals.) Two months after his debut, Thompson has essentially picked up where he left off as a rookie, proving to be an indispensable contributor on offense and defense.

And he was able to reach a personal milestone by beating his brother for the first time in the NBA.

“He’s not a guy that forces or pushes the issue,” Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff said Monday before the 107-96 win. “He’s one of those guys that just plays basketball and makes basketball plays. His ability to get stops on defense, block shots, rebound the basketball, you can’t think of that as a coach, you don’t plan that. He does it naturally.

“Offensively, his ability to advance the ball, make plays, pass, rebound offensively, attack the paint, you don’t have to design and plan for those things. He’s been able to show his natural instincts and I think as time goes on things are getting more and more complicated for him and that’s a good sign for him and a good sign for us.”

Thompson is averaging 7.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals in just under 19 minutes per game. He was very successful when dealing with a minute restriction – he rarely managed more than 25 minutes in a game and yet played no more than 27. On Monday, he played 23 while his brother played 40.

Thompson’s game fits his role. He is the Pistons’ best perimeter defender, one of their best playmakers in transition and a great rebounder for his size. The team is 9-2 in January despite losing Jaden Ivey on New Year’s Day, thanks largely to Thompson.

“We’re just trying to monitor him and keep him as fresh as possible, and honestly some days it’s different,” Bickerstaff said of the minutes limit. “Sometimes I can look at him and see, OK, he’s fine. Sometimes I might look at him and think he needs a break. Just depending on the pace of the game – how many breaks, how many stoppages, how many free throws – all of those things matter. The associated time off situation obviously affects the length of his routes. And it’s a bit of a gut feeling going into the game.”

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Thompson and his brother have a close – and competitive – relationship. The Rockets won 41 games last season while the Pistons won just 14. Amen would remind Ausar that his team’s record was the Pistons’ inverse record. A year later, the gap between the two teams has narrowed.

The Pistons are now 22-21 and were tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race as of Monday. The Rockets were one of the top teams in the Western Conference, but are now 28-15 and have only six wins, even though the Pistons were 11-17 overall in mid-December.

The rivalry between the brothers largely only exists on the pitch. Thompson leaned on Amen as he struggled with uncertainty early in the season, not knowing when his impending injury status would be resolved. He attended all of their games and they often spoke right after.

Was it difficult for Thompson to see Amen play before he himself was released?

“No,” Thompson said quickly. “If anything, I had become his biggest fan. We talked a lot, watched a lot of films. This is my husband for life, I can’t even explain it.”

Despite the disparity in minutes on Monday, the Pistons’ Thompson nearly posted a double-double to help them dominate the glass.

He will have to wait until next season to play against his brother again. In the meantime, he will continue working to ensure the gap between the Pistons and Rockets is closed for good.

“With the minutes restriction, I just go out there and try to do my best every time I’m there,” he said. “Just trust the process, know its plan for me and one day I will come back to it. I’m going to do all the little things – I’m going to watch more movies, increase my minutes, I don’t know, I’m just going to say “seriously” even if there’s a better word for it, and what do I do in the minutes that I get.”

The Detroit Pistons get a big boost from the small additions of Ausar Thompson

ByAmelia Journalton

By Amelia Journalton

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