STAR PERFORMANCE
Thompson hits game-winning shot as Rockets rally past Celtics
Jan 27, 2025, 9:38 pm
Rockets beat the Celtics, 114-112. Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images.
Amen Thompson hit a game-winning floater with 0.7 seconds left and finished with 33 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 114-112 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night.
Dillon Brooks shot 10 of 15 from 3-point range and led Houston with 36 points. The Rockets won for the ninth time in 11 games.
Jaylen Brown had 28 points for the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum added 19 after a scoreless first half. Luke Kornet had 18 and Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 to go with eight rebounds.
Rockets leading scorer Jalen Green was held to 12 points.
Thompson broke free off an inbounds play and went in for an easy dunk, pushing Houston in front 112-110. But after a timeout, Tatum got the ball near midcourt and drove in for the tying layup with 5.3 seconds left.
Brooks’ 10th 3-pointer gave the Rockets a 108-106 lead with 1:39 to play.
The Celtics easily won the first meeting between the teams in Houston on Jan. 3.
Houston coach Ime Udoka said before the game that forward Cam Whitmore was “sick and back at the hotel.”
Takeaways
Rockets: Coming off their second win over East-leading Cleveland in a week, the surprising Rockets rallied after falling behind by 12 early in the final quarter.
Celtics: With center Al Horford a very late scratch after going through warmups, Derrick White (bruised right shin) and Sam Hauser (right hip) all out, coach Joe Mazzulla mixed and matched some unusual lineups by going deep into the bench.
Key moment
Thompson took the ball just outside the 3-point line, drove and hit his winning shot over Brown.
Key stat
Tatum missed all five shot attempts in the opening half.
Up next
The Rockets are at the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, the third stop on a four-game trip. The Celtics host the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.