Rockets stacking up impressive wins while climbing West standings – NBA.Com

Houston coach Ime Uduka: ‘I wouldn’t say we’re sneaking up on anybody anymore at this point in the season.’Ken Powtak | The Associated PressCapped by Amen Thompson’s last-second floater, the Rockets stun the Celtics with a 12-point comeback in the 4th quarter.BOSTON (AP) — The Houston Rockets have been one of the NBA’s more surprising teams this season. After their past three games, they shouldn’t shock anyone.The Rockets beat the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers twice last week before traveling to Boston and pulling out a 114-112 victory over the defending champion Celtics on Monday night.“We’re over halfway through now and our record is what it is, so it’s not just a fluke or anything,” Houston coach Ime Udoka said. “People watch film and see the physicality and the way that we play, it’s a little different than the rest of the league, maybe that catches people off guard initially, but I wouldn’t say we’re sneaking up on anybody anymore at this point in the season.”Houston (31-14), which is second in the Western Conference, posted its ninth win in 11 games on Monday. Its record is a few percentage points better than that of the defending NBA champion Celtics (32-15).The Cavs and Celtics were a combined 104-28 (.788) entering their games against Houston. The Rockets became the first team in NBA history to win three straight games against teams with that high of a winning percentage, with a minimum of 40 games for each opponent, according to OptaSTATS.Amen Thompson hit a floater over Jaylen Brown with 0.7 seconds left to give the Rockets the victory at Boston.AMEN THOMPSON WINS IT FOR THE ROCKETS IN THE FINAL SECONDS 🚨🚨ROCKETS MOVE TO 12-3 WITH AMEN IN THE STARTING LINEUP THIS SEASON! pic.twitter.com/v77x2RHkV2— NBA (@NBA) January 28, 2025“We feel like we can beat anybody, and this road trip is really proving that,” Thompson said.Led by a balanced lineup featuring Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, veteran Fred VanVleet, Thompson and Dillon Brooks, the Rockets have been rolling since their 23-point home loss to the Celtics on Jan. 3.“We don’t like to lose at home, especially to the Celtics,” Thompson said. “We just come in here every day and we just try to win.”Teams around the league are taking notice of what Houston is doing. After the Cavaliers finished off their 19-point home win over Detroit on Monday, they spent time in the postgame locker room watching the Rockets’ victory.“We’re just playing hard, playing together,” said Brooks, who finished with a 36 points against Boston, including a 10-of-15 performance from 3-point range.“We have trust in one another,” Brooks said.The Rockets are plenty confident, but they understand big wins mean nothing if they can’t follow them up. They’ll get that chance Tuesday night when they play at Atlanta.“Playing some of the top teams obviously gives us some confidence,” Udoka said.* * *AP freelancer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.The Rockets are exceeding expectations this season, thanks to Thompson’s ascendant sophomore campaign.The Rockets, Knicks and Nuggets all move in this week’s Top 10 while OKC stays at No. 1 for the 3rd time in the last 4 weeks.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić continue to set the Kia MVP pace for each other and the rest of the field.Alex Sarr keeps his spot at the top for a 3rd week in a row while a pair of new names make their way into the Top 10.The Rockets are exceeding expectations this season, thanks to Thompson’s ascendant sophomore campaign.The Rockets, Knicks and Nuggets all move in this week’s Top 10 while OKC stays at No. 1 for the 3rd time in the last 4 weeks.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić continue to set the Kia MVP pace for each other and the rest of the field.Alex Sarr keeps his spot at the top for a 3rd week in a row while a pair of new names make their way into the Top 10.James goes scoreless in 15 minutes against Philadelphia after getting an unexpected stint in the 1st quarter.Thomas, who finished 5th in voting for the 2016-17 Kia MVP award, is still seeking a return to the NBA at nearly 36 years old. Griner led the Mercury to the 2014 WNBA championship while topping the league in scoring twice and blocks eight times.Davis was coming off one of the best games of his career with 42 points and 23 rebounds in a victory over Charlotte.Stay in the know on tonight’s four-game slate with the latest news, scores and highlights from around the NBA.George sustained tendon damage to the little finger on his left hand when he jammed it Saturday against Chicago.

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