Amen Thompson’s clutch drive with 1.3 seconds remaining secured the Houston Rockets a hard-fought 114-112 win over the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics on Monday.
After two victories over Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland last week, the Rockets held on to topple another Eastern power, surrendering an early 11-point advantage but clawing back after the Celtics took a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
Dillon Brooks scored 36 points and Thompson added a career-high 33 points with 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal and a key late block for the Rockets.
A 3-pointer from Brooks ignited a 13-0 Rockets run capped by two baskets from Thompson that put Houston up 102-101.
Jaylen Brown scored 28 points to lead the Celtics. Jayson Tatum scored all 19 of his in the second half but his late surge couldn’t get Boston over the hump.
After four more lead changes, the Celtics had tied it 112-112 on Tatum’s layup with 5.3 seconds left. But Thompson, the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft, got loose on an inbounds play and drove for the game-winner.
“That felt great,” Thompson said. “That’s my first game-winner. I feel like Kobe (Bryant)!”
Elsewhere, the Cavaliers snapped their first three-game losing streak of the season with a 110-91 home victory over Detroit while the Los Angeles Lakers – fueled by a monster game from Anthony Davis – notched a fourth straight victory 112-107 over the Charlotte Hornets.
Davis scored 42 points and pulled down 23 rebounds and the Lakers led by as many as 23 points on the way to victory.
Davis set the tone early, scoring 21 points with 11 rebounds in the first quarter alone, when he connected on nine of his 12 attempts from the field.
“Teammates did their job setting me up,” Davis said. “It’s the entire team, not just me I think. It’s the way we’ve been playing, moving the basketball, playing for each other, not caring who scores as long as we score – things have just been able to open up for me.”
LeBron James added 22 points, seven rebounds and eight assists and Austin Reaves chipped in 17 points for the Lakers.
Miles Bridges scored 26 points to pace the Hornets, but Charlotte saw star guard LaMelo Ball exit in the first half with an ankle injury.
Knicks top Grizzlies
In Miami, the Heat shook off the latest drama surrounding star Jimmy Butler to beat the Orlando Magic 125-119 in double overtime.
Tyler Herro scored 30 points and handed out 12 assists, Bam Adebayo added 26 points and six Heat players scored in double figures.
Hours earlier Butler – reportedly miffed to be told he would be coming off the bench – walked out of the morning shoot-around and was suspended by the team for the third time this month.
The New York Knicks brought the Memphis Grizzlies’ six-game winning streak to an emphatic end with a 143-106 triumph at Madison Square Garden.
Mikal Bridges scored 28 points to lead seven Knicks players in double figures and New York held Memphis star Ja Morant to 10 points on the way to their fourth straight win.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Knicks, who put up 143 points for the second straight game.
The Chicago Bulls withstood a 33-point triple-double from Denver’s NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic to beat the Nuggets 129-121.
Zach LaVine scored 21 points and Nikola Vucevic added 20 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Bulls, who connected on 24 of 53 3-point attempts.
Denver led by one going into the fourth quarter, but Chicago opened the period on a 13-0 scoring run to seize control for good.