Rockets Hold Slim WIN over Cavs

 

Written by Thomas Graham

On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, with 4.5 seconds left, Alperen Sengun made two free throws, and Darius Garland missed two of three more, on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, the Houston Rockets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers by a slim margin of 109-108 in the Toyota Center. The game was characterized by frequent changes in momentum and nervous last-minute shots.

With 2.1 seconds remaining, Garland was awarded three free throws after Tari Eason fouled him on a 3-point attempt. However, he missed the first two before cutting the lead back to one point with the third attempt. At the final second, the Cavaliers had a chance to win it, but Donovan Mitchell missed his 3-point try.

With the combined efforts of Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason, who both made huge contributions off the bench, the Rockets took an early lead and ended the first quarter up 39-32. Houston had a 61-53 lead at the half, maintaining their lead.

With roughly 11 minutes remaining, Houston had a 13-point lead, but with four minutes remaining, the Cavaliers went on a 19-0 run to grab a 104-98 lead.

VanVleet, however, committed a team-high six turnovers (out of Houston's 22 total) in Wednesday's victory over Cleveland. With less than four minutes remaining, Cleveland went from down by double digits to a six-point lead in the fourth quarter, which featured several mistakes.

The last few seconds of the game were the climax. Donovan Mitchell missed a jumper, and Alperen Şengün grabbed an offensive rebound with 4.5 seconds remaining. Jarrett Allen then fouled him. With a composed conversion of both free throws, Şengün gave Houston a 109-107 lead.

Amen Thompson made an impression with 16 points and 16 rebounds, while Şengün contributed a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Garland equaled VanVleet's 26 points, and Allen scored 17 points and pulled down 13 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

The Rockets' competitive standing is strengthened by this victory, which raises their season record to 29-14. Houston's tenacity and capacity to perform well under duress were demonstrated throughout the game; these traits will be crucial as they advance in the season.

The Rockets are currently ranked second in the Western Conference rankings, a major factor in Houston's recent offensive gains has been VanVleet's 43.0% 3-point shooting during his previous 14 games, which translates to an average nightly rate of over six attempts.