NBA: Rockets win 9th straight, send Heat to 10th consecutive loss

VanVleet shot 13 for 17 from the field and made a season-high 9 of 11 3-pointers as the Rockets extended the league’s longest active winning streak. Houston also snapped a nine-game skid against Miami, which lost its 10th straight. It is the Heat’s longest skid since they lost 11th straight in 2007-08.

Amen Thompson returned after missing the last six games because of a sprained left ankle and finished with 18 points and seven steals, while Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith each added 11 points for the Rockets.

Houston rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the third quarter and got to 80-78 on Jalen Green’s jumper to close the period.

Miami’s Andrew Wiggins scored 30 points, his highest total since the Heat acquired him from Golden State for Jimmy Butler on Feb. 6. Kel’el Ware had 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Bam Adebayo also scored 16 points for the Heat.

VanVleet went on a personal 9-2 run to start the fourth that put the Rockets ahead for good. He hit two 3s, a lay-up and made 1 of 2 free throws that gave Houston an 87-84 lead.

Houston outrebounded Miami 46-34 for its eighth consecutive game of winning the rebounding edge against an opponent.

37 PTS on 13-17 FG for FREDDY V IN. HIS. BAG. @MemorialHermann | #Liftoff pic.twitter.com/viyjZsGU4G

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 22, 2025

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 30 points and the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder won their fifth in a row, 141-106 over the Charlotte Hornets.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s top scorer at 33.0 points per game, returned to the lineup after sitting out Wednesday night's lopsided win against Philadelphia. He made 13 of 18 shots to go with six rebounds and nine assists before sitting out the fourth quarter.

Chet Holmgren added 14 points, five rebounds and three blocks for Oklahoma City, which clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the second consecutive season when Milwaukee beat the Lakers on Thursday.

Isaiah Hartenstein had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who played without injured starters Lu Dort and Jalen Williams. Oklahoma City led 66-49 at halftime after Kenrich Williams banked in a 29-foot shot at the buzzer, and 103-76 after three quarters.

Miles Bridges scored 20 points and Nick Smith Jr. added 14 for Charlotte, which played without injured starters LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Mark Williams (foot).

Oklahoma City's depth helped the team surpass last season's win total and improve to 26-1 against the East.

Wire to wire win pic.twitter.com/0EUasxnpkM

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) March 22, 2025

Kevin Durant poured in 42 points to help the Phoenix Suns defeat the suddenly struggling Cleveland Cavaliers 123-112.

It was the Suns’ third straight win and kept them in a tie with Dallas for the final play-in spot in the West at 34-37.

Devin Booker scored 17 points and Tyus Jones added 16, while Royce O'Neale had 15 on five 3-pointers for Phoenix.

Cleveland, which saw its 16-game winning streak snapped by Orlando on Sunday, has lost a season-high four in a row to fall two games behind Oklahoma City for the NBA’s best record. Their 56-14 mark still leads the East comfortably.

Darius Garland scored 18 points for Cleveland. Evan Mobley had 16 points and 12 rebounds and former Sun Ty Jerome also scored 16 for the Cavs. All-Star Donovan Mitchell scored a season-low seven points on 2-of-18 shooting, including 0 for 8 from long range.

The Suns were without Bradley Beal (hamstring) and their top two centres, Nick Richards (calf) and Mason Plumlee (quad). Third-stringer Oso Ighodaro played a game-high 44 minutes and had a team-high 13 rebounds.