<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/detroit-pistons/pistons-news-ausar-thompsons-2-word-message-game-7-knicks');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ausar Thompson’s 2-word message about Pistons potentially forcing Game 7');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ausar-Thompson.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Ausar Thompson’s 2-word message about Pistons potentially forcing Game 7</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-30T05:30:21-07:00">April 30th, 5:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-30T05:30:21-07:00">April 30th, 5:30am</time><address><a>Miguel La Torre</a>Miguel La Torre is a lifelong sports junkie and seasoned sports writer whose passion for the game has been with him since childhood. A former soccer player turned dedicated runner, he's now chasing his dream of completing all seven major world marathons. Miguel is also a proud Utah Jazz believer, a passionate Manchester United and Real Madrid supporter, and loyal Novak Djokovic fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Pistons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Pistons are still alive, and rookie Ausar Thompson has no doubts about what’s coming next. After a thrilling 106–103 win over the New York Knicks in Game 5, Thompson was asked how confident he is that the Pistons can push the series to a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. <a href="https://x.com/sny_knicks/status/1917409483539583019" rel="noopener">His answer was just two words</a>: “Super-confident.”</p><p>Thompson’s belief isn’t just talk. The rookie delivered one of his most complete performances of the season in the biggest game of his young career. He tied his career high with 22 points, shooting 8-of-10 from the field, while also grabbing seven rebounds and adding two blocks in 29 minutes. Thompson’s length and athleticism were critical on both ends, particularly as he helped slow down Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who finished with just 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting.</p><p>Entering the game down 3–1 in the series, Detroit showed no signs of backing down on the road. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/detroit-pistons/pistons-news-cade-cunningham-pulls-off-unreal-feat-last-done-by-1963-oscar-robertson">Cade Cunningham led the way with 24 points</a>, including 13 in a clutch fourth quarter, and added eight rebounds and eight assists. Tobias Harris chipped in with 17 points, and Jalen Duren controlled the paint with 11 rebounds and three blocks.</p><p>The Pistons trailed by five at the half but stormed back in the second half behind their young core and some gritty defense. Detroit limited New York’s transition offense and forced key turnovers down the stretch, capitalizing with fast-break points and momentum-shifting plays.</p><p>One of those moments came late in the third quarter, when Thompson swatted a shot in the lane, then sprinted downcourt for a thunderous dunk that tied the game and brought the Pistons bench to its feet. It was a play that symbolized the kind of energy and confidence Thompson has brought to the team all season.</p><p>Game 6 will take place Thursday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. With the series now 3–2 in favor of New York, the Pistons <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/detroit-pistons/pistons-news-fans-reactions-wild-game-5-ending-knicks">will try to ride their home-court energy to even the series</a>.</p><p>Ausar Thompson may be a rookie, but his mindset and play are anything but. His confidence is contagious, and if Game 5 is any indication, the Pistons are far from finished.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ausar Thompson’s 2-word message about Pistons potentially forcing Game 7

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-jayson-tatum-meme-after-wickedly-crossed-up-ausar-thompson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Celtics’ Jayson Tatum becomes a meme after getting wickedly crossed up by Ausar Thompson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Jayson-Tatum-becomes-a-meme-after-getting-wickedly-crossed-up-by-Ausar-Thompson.jpg"></figure><h1>Celtics’ Jayson Tatum becomes a meme after getting wickedly crossed up by Ausar Thompson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-27T08:16:28-08:00">February 27th, 8:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-27T08:16:28-08:00">February 27th, 8:16am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-kristaps-porzingis-calls-out-terrible-player-in-loss-to-pistons">Boston Celtics took a brutal loss</a> to the Detroit Pistons 117-97, as they are now on an eight-game winning streak. The Celtics did not play like the team they’ve been all season, and they were caught slipping multiple times. Speaking of slipping, Ausar Thompson had Jayson Tatum doing that during the game, and it <a href="https://x.com/Spenmorax/status/1894999124287590736" rel="noopener">set social media on fire</a>.</p><p>Thompson made one simple crossover and drove to the lane, and before Tatum knew it, he was backpedaling and almost fell.</p><p>https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons/status/1894994120772591898</p><p>People have already screenshotted pictures of Tatum almost falling, and there’s no doubt those will be the talk of social media for the next few days. On the bright side, Tatum can say that he ended the game with the most points.</p><h2>Is Jayson Tatum the most underappreciated NBA star?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Jayson-Tatum_8dd502.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Besides getting crossed, Jayson Tatum has been trending over the past few days after his answer to whether he feels like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/02/25/jayson-tatum-boston-celtics-nba-stars/" rel="noopener">he’s appreciated for what he’s done</a> in his career.</p><p>“Honestly, no,” Tatum said via The Washington’s Post Michael Lee. “If you took the name and the face away from all my accomplishments and you’re just like, ‘This is what this Player A accomplished at 26,’ people would talk about [me] a lot differently.”</p><p>Tatum has a hefty resume at just the age of 26, but the way people talk about him – or don’t talk about him – you would think he hasn’t accomplished much in his career. He achieved the ultimate goal last year by winning his first championship, and if the Celtics can continue to compete at a high level, there’s no reason why he can’t win more. Tatum is always the leading scorer on the Celtics every year, and he’s also been a solid defender as well. One of the things where he’s shown improvement is his playmaking ability, and is averaging a career-high in assists this season.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-shannon-sharpe-picks-lebron-james-over-jayson-tatum-for-nbas-most-disrespected-star">Shannon Sharpe found himself taking up for Tatum</a> after his comments about not being appreciated, and he tried to think of some ways that would make people tune into him.</p><p>“Maybe needed to start talking trash, maybe you need to throw the ball, you know, hit a jump shot and point in somebody’s face, do something that resonates,” Sharpe said on First Take. “Maybe go on IG, he’s not on social media, maybe he needs to start talking trash on social media, so we can all get behind it. I love him, I think his game is unbelievable. There’s nothing not to like about him.”</p><p>All Tatum can do is continue to go out and keep winning, and people will one day realize what he can do.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Celtics’ Jayson Tatum becomes a meme after getting wickedly crossed up by Ausar Thompson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/rockets-news-amen-thompson-pistons-shot-ausar-thompson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Rockets’ Amen Thompson takes hilarious Pistons shot at Ausar Thompson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Amen-Thompson-takes-hilarious-Pistons-shot-at-Ausar-Thompson.jpg"></figure><h1>Rockets’ Amen Thompson takes hilarious Pistons shot at Ausar Thompson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-15T07:04:55-08:00">February 15th, 7:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-15T07:04:55-08:00">February 15th, 7:04am</time><address><a>Jaren Kawada</a>Jaren Kawada is a former full-time sports bettor and is now a NFL, College Football and Betting Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. Kawada was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, but now resides in Indianapolis, Indiana, after graduating from Butler University with a B.A. in sports media. Aside from football, Kawada is an avid combat sports and basketball bettor.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Pistons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For the first time since 2023, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/projected-lottery-picks-amen-ausar-thompson-from-overtime-elite-declare-for-nba-draft">Amen and Ausar Thompson teamed up</a> at the 2025 NBA Rising Stars game. However, as representatives of the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons, respectively, the time apart showed itself on the court.</p><p>While the twins had clear chemistry, Amen Thompson <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1890622926161850838" rel="noopener">jokingly complained</a> about his brother failing to catch his lob pass at one point in the game. Ausar Thompson did not seem to recall the moment when it was brought up to him by media members after the game, causing Amen to interject and express his “disappointment” to his sibling.</p><p>“Bro, [it was] behind my head to you,” Amen Thompson said to his brother. “It was a perfect pass, bro. And we talked about this too. I’m disappointed. That’s why you don’t trust no Piston.”</p><p>https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1890622926161850838</p><p>Ausar Thompson brushed the moment aside, saying it was “super fun” to play with his longtime teammate again. Both were members of “Team M,” coached by former All-NBA guard Mitch Richmond.</p><p>Team M failed to win the NBA Rising Stars tournament, but Amen Thompson was one of the clear standout players of the event. The Rockets guard led his team with 11 points, but it was not enough to beat Team G-League. The G-Leaguers advanced to the final with a 40-39 win before falling to the tournament champions “Team C.”</p><h2><b>Rockets’ Amen Thompson, Pistons’ Ausar Thompson enjoying simultaneous breakout campaigns</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Thompson-brothers.jpg"><figcaption>David Reginek-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After semi-quiet rookie campaigns, both Thompson brothers are breaking out in their second year in the league. Unsurprisingly, the identical twins share a similar play style that has them both thriving as two of the top perimeter defenders and role players in the league.</p><p>Amen Thompson has accepted a larger role with the Rockets, particularly lately with Fred VanVleet’s recent injury. At the All-Star break, Amen has split his time as a starter and off the bench to average 13.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game.</p><p>Likewise, Ausar Thompson has accepted a starting role with the Pistons following <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pistons-news-jaden-ivey-stretchered-off-court-after-scary-injury-vs-magic">Jaden Ivey’s broken fibula injury</a>. The younger twin by one minute has dealt with injury issues of his own in 2024-2025 but still averages 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.</p><p>The parallel success of the gritty twins has boosted the overall performances of their teams. Both the Rockets and Pistons are currently enjoying one of their best seasons in recent history and are on track to be legitimate postseason threats. Detroit, specifically, is surprisingly sixth in the Eastern Conference at the break after finishing dead last in 2023-2024.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rockets’ Amen Thompson takes hilarious Pistons shot at Ausar Thompson

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pistons-news-ausar-thompson-major-step-return-blood-clot-issue');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pistons’ Ausar Thompson takes major step toward return from blood clot issue');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Pistons-news-Ausar-Thompson-takes-major-step-toward-return-from-blood-clot-issue.jpg"></figure><h1>Pistons’ Ausar Thompson takes major step toward return from blood clot issue</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-11T07:37:19-08:00">November 11th, 7:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-11T07:37:19-08:00">November 11th, 7:37am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Pistons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Pistons will get another addition to their youthful squad, with Ausar Thompson taking a major step toward playing. After he dealt with a blood clot issue since March, he’s been cleared to play by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel. Thompson had the <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1855977710549410120" rel="noopener">seal of approval</a> to start ramping up his condition in preparation for his season debut, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.<br><br>Unfortunately, Thompson isn’t the only player who dealt with a blood clot issue. Los Angeles Lakers center <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-christian-koloko-takes-big-step-towards-return-blood-clot-issue">Christian Koloko dealt with a blood clot</a> that nearly cost him his career. Fast forward to the 2024 season, and he’s played two games with the Lakers this season. Luckily for Thompson, once he’s cleared to play, he’ll have a more expanded role.<br><br>In his rookie season, Thompson showed flashes in the pan. He averaged<a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/thompau01.html" rel="noopener"> 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game</a>. Previous Pistons head coach Monty Williams used him in a variety of ways. He played either as a ball-handler, screen setter, or physical presence inside. While the 6’7, 215-pound forward didn’t seem like a big body, he was. <br><br>With only playing 25.1 minutes, he gobbled nearly seven rebounds a game. For a rookie and for playing just a little over half of the game, the numbers are impressive.</p><h2><b>How quickly can Ausar Thompson come back from his blood clot for the Pistons?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Pistons-guard-Ausar-Thompson-cleared-to-play.jpg"><figcaption>© Mike Watters-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s tough to say, considering those diagnoses are on an individual basis. For example, Koloko had to wait over a year for his diagnosis to clear. It took him a matter of two or three months before he was able to compete. In Thompson’s case, it could be more of the same. However, it could be less.<br><br>Although Koloko is seen as a bench guy, Thompson can start. As a result, the Pistons forward might need more time to condition and train. With young guys like Jalen Duran, and Cade Cunningham starting, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff might want to start the 2023 No. 5 overall pick.</p><p>Still, it might concerning for fans, and the young forward especially. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pistons-news-ausar-thompson-breaks-silence-scary-blood-clot-diagnosis">Thompson revealed his mentality</a> about getting back on the court after being diagnosed and having his season end abruptly. Even with the calm, it might be a tad concerning. Regardless, Detroit has gotten off to a solid start. While they’re 4-7 on the season, they’re at nearly half of their win total from 2023-24.</p><p>With the rebuild hopefully complete for the Pistons, adding Thompson back would do wonders. It’s a mystery how Bickerstaff will use him in the lineup. Despite that, seeing Thompson back on the court will inject more life into the franchise, and their fans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pistons’ Ausar Thompson takes major step toward return from blood clot issue

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pistons-news-ausar-thompson-breaks-silence-scary-blood-clot-diagnosis');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pistons’ Ausar Thompson breaks silence on scary blood clot diagnosis');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Pistons-Ausar-Thompson-breaks-silence-on-scary-blood-clot-diagnosis.jpg"></figure><h1>Pistons’ Ausar Thompson breaks silence on scary blood clot diagnosis</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-04-15T22:27:38-07:00">April 15th, 10:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-04-15T22:27:38-07:00">April 15th, 10:27pm</time><address><a>Eric Vincent</a>Eric Vincent is a credentialed beat reporter for the Detroit Pistons at ClutchPoints. He has been active in Detroit sports journalism since 2011 previously working with Bleacher Report, 1130 WDFN, and Detroit Sports Nation.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the Detroit Pistons’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pistons-news-detroit-officially-clinches-embarrassing-all-time-record-bulls-loss">all-time painful regular season</a> coming to an end, the franchise addressed questions from the media about the direction of the team. Rookie Ausar Thompson is one of the many players who spoke publicly on Monday afternoon, where he commented on the pressing issue of his current health.</p><p>When asked about the first signs of the reported blood clot, Thompson admitted he <a href="https://twitter.com/JLEdwardsIII/status/1779937796125229318" rel="noopener">“wasn’t feeling like himself”</a> before the diagnosis, per James Edwards of the Athletic. He also provided a brief response about how the situation impacts his future.</p><p>“They said nothing about how it’ll impact me going forward,” Thompson disclosed. “I’m just trying to focus on now. I want to get back with the guys as soon as possible.”</p><h2><b>Ausar Thompson’s health issue</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Ausar-Thompson-dribbling.jpg"><figcaption>Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pistons-news-ausar-thompson-isaiah-stewart-season-ending-injury-update">Thompson missed the last 19 games</a> of the 2023-24 season due to a blood clot. After playing in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks about a month ago, he went on to miss the rest of the game due to the blood clot effects. The franchise was vague about Thompson’s absence until confirming the cause back in March.</p><p>The Pistons relied heavily on their 21-year-old rookie as their primary defender on the perimeter. Thompson routinely was assigned to defend the opponent’s best scorer. Despite some rookie growing pains, he quickly established himself as the most reliable defender on the team.</p><p>Detroit concluded the season last in the NBA with the worst record of 14-68, a new all-time franchise low for the Pistons. Thompson also talked about <a href="https://twitter.com/JLEdwardsIII/status/1779938689172357495">his strong suits</a> as a rookie and what he can improve on in his sophomore campaign.</p><p>“I was pleased with my ability to touch the paint, pass the ball, finish at the rim, defend,” Thompson said, per James Edwards of the Athletic. “Things I can improve on? Shooting. Going in very focused on that. If someone is forced to guard me higher, it won’t be easy.”</p><p>Thompson finished the season playing 63 games averaging 8.8 points per game and 6.4 rebounds. He emerged early in the league with his defense and rebounding. Thompson was statistically ranked in the top ten as a rebounder, staying active on the offensive and defensive glass.</p><p>The scoring improvements will be needed when he returns for the Pistons. Ausar Thompson’s shooting splits of 48.3% from the field, 18.6% from three, and 59.7% from the free throw line limited his offensive production for Detroit. Considering the lack of proven depth on the wing for the Pistons, a step forward in Thompson’s scoring prowess would do wonders for this franchise.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
14.3	6.5	3.5	0.5	1.0

2025-26 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
14.3	6.5	3.5	0.5	1.0

Ausar Thompson

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Pistons’ Ausar Thompson takes major step toward return from blood clot issue

Pistons’ Ausar Thompson breaks silence on scary blood clot diagnosis

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