In the latest matchup, the Houston Rockets secured victory over the New York Knicks with Aaron Holiday stepping up to sink two crucial free throws in the last seconds, putting them ahead with a score of 105-103.

Holiday’s impressive performance at the start of the fourth quarter gave the Rockets a commanding 91-80 lead, but the game took a dramatic turn when he was fouled by Jalen Brunson while attempting a last-second shot. Brunson’s 14-foot jumper with 8.1 seconds left narrowed the gap for the Knicks.

Brunson showed his skills by scoring 20 of his total 27 points in the second half, with Donte DiVincenzo contributing 23 points and Josh Hart adding 17 points along with 11 rebounds. Bojan Bogdanovic‘s strong fourth-quarter performance of nine points out of his total 15 attempted to lift the Knicks, who faced their fourth loss in five matches.

The Rockets were led by Dillon Brooks with 23 points, including a crucial 3-pointer that extended their lead to 91-80. Jabari Smith Jr. chipped in with 20 points, while Alperen Sengun and Holiday each scored 18, with Jalen Green contributing 16 points to secure the win.

Despite trailing by a significant margin in the first half, the Knicks staged a strong comeback in the third quarter.

New York began the second half with a impressive 16-4 run, closing the gap to 61-59, led by Hart and DiVincenzo who sparked an offensive resurgence. The Knicks capitalized on offensive rebounds and converted them into crucial second-chance points to shrink the deficit.

In the third quarter, the Knicks stifled the Rockets’ offense, holding them to 4-for-12 shooting and forcing turnovers. Despite Brunson’s attempt to take the lead with a successful shot at the 2:45 mark, he missed the subsequent free throw, resulting in a tied score.

A pivotal 3-pointer by Smith in the final seconds of the quarter saw the Rockets enter the fourth with a 74-71 lead.

DiVincenzo’s strong start for the Knicks, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, gave them an early advantage of 16-8. However, the Rockets fought back with an 11-0 run fueled by Brooks and Green to turn the tide.

The Rockets dominated the first half, establishing a 29-22 lead by converting their free-throw opportunities. While DiVincenzo excelled for the Knicks, others struggled to find their offensive rhythm. The Rockets surged ahead to a 57-43 lead at halftime.