Fred VanVleet erupted for 37 points as the Houston Rockets (46-25) secured their ninth consecutive victory, defeating the Miami Heat (29-41) 102-98 on Friday night.
VanVleet was nearly unstoppable, shooting 13-of-17 from the field and draining a season-high nine three-pointers on 11 attempts. His dominant performance helped Houston snap a nine-game losing streak against Miami while extending the Heat’s skid to 10 straight, their longest since the 2007-08 season.
Amen Thompson made his return after missing six games due to a sprained ankle and contributed 18 points, seven steals, and nine rebounds. Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith Jr. each added 11 points, while Jalen Green hit a key jumper to cap a third-quarter rally.
Andrew Wiggins led Miami with 30 points, marking his highest-scoring game since joining the team in February. Rookie Kel’el Ware posted a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Bam Adebayo also finished with 16 points.
Houston trailed by 11 early in the third quarter but stormed back behind VanVleet’s hot shooting. The veteran guard took over in the fourth, scoring nine straight points to put the Rockets ahead for good.
The Rockets dominated the glass with a 46-34 rebounding advantage, marking their eighth straight game outrebounding their opponent. Miami lost despite shooting 52.1% from the field and led by as many as 11 before faltering in the final period.
Houston remains second in the Western Conference, strengthening its position for home-court advantage in the playoffs. Miami, sitting in 10th place in the East, has now squandered 20 double-digit leads this season.
