NBA Recap: Rockets Edge Cavaliers, Mavericks Fall to Timberwolves

The Houston Rockets erased a late deficit to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-109, while the Dallas Mavericks fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander delivered a spectacular performance, scoring a career-high 54 points to propel the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-114 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. This outstanding display marked the first 50-point game of Gilgeous-Alexander's career.

Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive stats extended beyond his scoring, as he also collected eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and two blocks. His virtuoso performance proved decisive in a tightly contested game that featured 16 lead changes. The win cemented the Thunder's position atop the Western Conference with a 36-7 record.

2️⃣ x 2️⃣

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received his @Kia Western Conference Player of the Month award for December pregame 🏆 pic.twitter.com/jUpWCjs7ee

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 23, 2025

Despite his remarkable achievement, Gilgeous-Alexander remained humble, saying, “I just tried to be aggressive, tried to make the right basketball play and then from there just trust the work - it was no different from any other night.” He downplayed his performance, adding, “I had a few more points tonight, but it was nothing special.”

The Thunder received valuable contributions from other players, including Jalen Williams, who scored 25 points, and Cason Wallace, who added 13 points off the bench. In contrast, the Utah Jazz were led by John Collins, who scored 22 points.

The loss dropped the Jazz to 10-32, leaving them at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, the Thunder continued to build momentum, solidifying their position as a top contender in the league.

The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a stunning 108-109 defeat to the Houston Rockets in a thrilling finish. Despite taking a six-point lead with less than four minutes remaining, the Cavaliers were unable to hold on as the Rockets fought back to knot the score at 107-107 with five seconds left. Houston's Alperen Sengun then made two crucial free throws to put his team ahead.

The Cavaliers had one final chance to win, but Darius Garland missed two free throws with only three seconds remaining, securing the Rockets' victory. Houston's Fred VanVleet led his team's scoring with 26 points, including 7-of-12 from three-point range. VanVleet described the game as “sloppy,” saying, “I don't know what happened - a sloppy game. It was how not to close a game out. But I thought we deserved that. We fought hard. Sometimes good things go your way, and sometimes they don't. Tonight they did at the end and we were able to close it out.”

The Rockets' win improved their record to 29-14, leaving them second in the Western Conference standings. Meanwhile, their Texas rivals, the Dallas Mavericks, suffered a 115-114 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite 36 points from Kyrie Irving and 30 points from P.J. Washington, the Mavericks were unable to overcome the Timberwolves' balanced offense.

Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels led the scoring with 27 points, while Anthony Edwards added 21. The Timberwolves' victory was a testament to their team's depth and determination. In other games, the Memphis Grizzlies extended their winning streak to four games with a 132-120 defeat of the Charlotte Hornets, led by Desmond Bane's 24 points.

The Grizzlies' win solidified their position as third in the Western Conference with a 29-15 record. In contrast, the Brooklyn Nets' struggles continued with a fifth consecutive loss, a 108-84 blowout to the visiting Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker led the Suns with 32 points, while Kevin Durant added 24 against his former club.

The Sacramento Kings topped their Californian rivals, the Golden State Warriors, 123-117, thanks to a game-high 32 points from DeMar DeRozan. Finally, the Boston Celtics edged the Los Angeles Clippers in a thrilling 117-113 overtime win, capping off an exciting night of NBA action.