Amen Thompson tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer Saturday night to give the Houston Rockets a 123-122 victory over the Miami Heat at Toyota Center.
The dramatic finish came moments after Kevin Durant moved into fifth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Michael Jordan during a pivotal fourth-quarter stretch.
Durant finished with 27 points, three rebounds and three assists while shooting 9-of-17 from the field and 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
The veteran forward now has 32,294 career points, two more than Jordan, after hitting consecutive 3-pointers that briefly gave Houston control late in the game.
Houston improved to 43-27 and remained fourth in the Western Conference standings after winning its second straight game.
Thompson delivered a dominant all-around performance with 24 points and 18 rebounds, including the decisive tip-in after Durant’s potential game-winner bounced off the rim.
Reed Sheppard added 23 points and a career-high 14 assists while knocking down five 3-pointers.
Alperen Sengun recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds, giving the Rockets three players with double-digit rebounds and helping Houston win the battle on the glass 44-41.
The game featured multiple momentum swings during the final quarter. Miami opened the fourth with an 11-point lead before Houston responded with a 15-0 run that shifted control of the game.
Jabari Smith Jr., Sheppard and Aaron Holiday each hit key 3-pointers during the surge that pushed the Rockets ahead 106-102 with less than seven minutes remaining.
Durant later connected on two more 3-pointers to extend Houston’s advantage to 117-109 while moving past Jordan on the all-time list.
Miami mounted a late comeback and nearly stole the game. The Heat cut the deficit to one on a Simon Fontecchio 3-pointer before Sheppard converted a short shot in the lane to give Houston a 121-118 lead with 12.7 seconds left.
Bam Adebayo responded with two free throws before Fontecchio drove for a layup that was ruled goaltending on Smith, giving Miami a 122-121 advantage with 5.4 seconds remaining.
That sequence set up the final possession, where Durant’s attempt bounced off the rim before Thompson reacted quickly to secure the game-winning tip.
Adebayo led Miami with 32 points and tied a career high with 21 rebounds while adding four assists. Tyler Herro scored 25 points and Simone Fontecchio added 21 points while shooting 5-of-9 from 3-point range.
Davion Mitchell contributed 15 points and nine assists for the Heat, who dropped their fourth consecutive game and fell to 38-33 in the Eastern Conference standings.
Houston shot 52% from the field and 46% from three-point range while producing 33 assists on 45 made baskets.
The Heat shot 51% overall and made 16 three-pointers but could not secure the final rebound on the last possession.
Miami continues its road trip Monday against the San Antonio Spurs. The Rockets begin a four-game road swing Monday night against the Chicago Bulls.
