Amen Thompson capped a career-high 33-point night with a tie-breaking jumper with 1.3 seconds left that lifted the Houston Rockets to a 114-112 win over the Boston Celtics on Monday. (More Sports News)
A game where neither team led by more than two points over the final 5 1/2 minutes was decided when Thompson took an in-bounds pass, then drove the lane before pulling back to knock down an 11-foot shot that snapped a 112-112 deadlock. Boston's Payton Pritchard then missed a desperation 3-point try at the buzzer as the Rockets secured their third straight victory and ninth in 11 games.
Houston also received a big performance out of Dillon Brooks, who put up a season-high 36 points while making 10 of 15 shots from 3-point range.
The Celtics got 28 points from Jaylen Brown and 19 from Jayson Tatum, but failed to hold onto a 12-point fourth-quarter lead as their recent home struggles continued. The defending NBA champions are now 4-6 at TD Garden since Dec. 19.
Boston looked to be in control after opening the fourth quarter on a 12-4 run to take a 101-89 advantage with under nine minutes left. Houston answered with 13 straight points, however, to move ahead as Thompson capped the spurt with back-to-back baskets.
The game remained tight down the stretch, with Tatum's layup with 5.3 seconds left knotting the score at 112-112 until Thompson scored on the following possession.
Houston owned an 11-point lead with four minutes left in the second quarter, but the Celtics closed out the half on a 13-4 surge to close within 54-52 at the break.
Knicks end Grizzlies' six-game winning streak in blowout fashion
Mikal Bridges had 28 points to lead an offensive barrage by the New York Knicks, who put an end to the Memphis Grizzlies' six-game winning streak with a dominating 143-106 rout.
Bridges finished 12 of 19 from the field on a night the Knicks shot nearly 52 per cent. Karl-Anthony Towns contributed 24 points and 11 rebounds to New York's fourth consecutive win, while Jalen Brunson added 20 points and six assists.
Jaren Jackson Jr. paced Memphis with 21 points. Desmond Bane had 16 points but committed six of the Grizzlies' 26 turnovers, while star guard Ja Morant was held to 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
The Knicks led from nearly start to finish, though their margin was just three points at 34-31 after one quarter. They extended their advantage to 60-52 at half-time behind Bridges' 14 points, then began pulling away further over the final two quarters.
Towns had 16 points in the third quarter and Brunson 12 as New York put up 42 points for the period to take a 102-84 lead into the fourth.
The Knicks later put the game out of reach with a 15-2 run to go up 123-91 with five minutes to play.
Suns stay hot with narrow win over Clippers
Devin Booker recorded 26 points and eight assists, Kevin Durant added 24 points, and the surging Phoenix Suns fought off a late comeback effort by the Los Angeles Clippers to hold on for a 111-109 win.
Phoenix posted its third straight victory and eighth win in 10 games, though it didn't come easy after they nearly let a 13-point lead with five minutes left slip away.
Ivica Zubac amassed 25 points and 16 rebounds for Los Angeles, while James Harden finished with 24 points and 10 assists and Norman Powell scored 23 points. All three players sparked바카라 웹사이트the Clippers' near-comeback after Durant's 3-pointer with 5:08바카라 웹사이트left staked the Suns to a seemingly comfortable 103-90 advantage.
The Clippers responded with a 16-4 run, capped by Powell's floater off a Zubac assist, to close the gap to 107-106 with 40.4 seconds to go.
Phoenix stayed in front by making four free throws in the final 30 seconds, though Grayson Allen missed a pair with 1.3 seconds left after Zubac brought Los Angeles within 111-109 with a putback dunk on the previous possession.
Powell rebounded Allen's second miss and launched a long shot from nearly full-court that was off target, however, to send the Clippers to a third loss in five games.
Booker had 13 points as the Suns built a 60-47 half-time lead, though Harden's 10 third-quarter points helped close the gap to 83-78 by period's end before Phoenix gained some separation in the early stages of the fourth.
