Amen Thompson hit a layup with 1.3 seconds to play to lift the Houston Rockets to a thrilling 114-112 win over the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics on Monday, MySportDab Reports.
Thompson, selected fourth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, completed a tournament to remember with career-best 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and a vital block down the stretch. That play was preceded by Jayson Tatum tying the game for Boston with 5.3 seconds left, which set the stage for Thompson’s heroics.
“It felt great,” Thompson said after the game. “That’s my first game-winner. I feel like Kobe!”
Dillon Brooks also played a key role, scoring 36 points while coming up with timely shots, making a critical three that ignited a 13-0 run in the fourth quarter. The Rockets rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to record their third consecutive victory over an Eastern Conference power, having already beaten Cleveland on consecutive nights.
Jaylen Brown was the Celtics’ leading scorer, with 28 points, and Tatum scored 19 — all of those in the second half. The Celtics came up empty in the waning seconds, and the Rockets earned their first win at TD Garden in five seasons.
Around the League
In other action, the Cleveland Cavaliers ended a three-game losing streak in style, beating the Detroit Pistons 110-91.
Finishing up Anthony Davis’ monster 42-point, 23-rebound performance, the Los Angeles Lakers picked up their fourth consecutive victory, overcoming the Charlotte Hornets, 112-107. LeBron James had 22 points, and LaMelo Ball left early with an ankle injury for Charlotte.
In Miami, the Heat battled through double-overtime drama to beat the Orlando Magic, 125-119. Tyler Herro scored 30 points and handed out 12 assists for the Heat, who were without Jimmy Butler, suspended for disciplinary reasons.
Ja Morant missed all but 10 points in the New York Knicks’ 143-106 rout that ended the Memphis Grizzlies’ six-game winning streak.
The Chicago Bulls, meanwhile, upended the Denver Nuggets, 129-121, outgunning Nikola Jokic’s 33-point triple double with 24 three-pointers in a shooting exhibition.
