On January 26, Beijing time, in the NBA regular season, the Rockets defeated the Eastern Conference top Cavaliers 135-131 again, sending the opponent to three consecutive defeats for the first time in the season.

Statistics

Cavaliers: Mitchell 33 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists, Garland 39 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists, Niang 21 points, Strus 14 points and 9 rebounds;

Rockets: Amen 23 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, Green 26 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, Brooks 13 points and 6 rebounds, Shin Jing 26 points and 8 rebounds, VanVleet 20 points and 6 assists, Adams 14 points;

Match replays

At the beginning of the first quarter, Mitchell hit a three-pointer to lead the team to a 10-4 run, and the Rockets immediately hit a three-pointer to give the opponent a response. In the ensuing period, the two sides alternated points through jumpers, counter-attacks and free throws, and when Niang hit a three-pointer, the Cavaliers were 23-25. At the end of the quarter, the Rockets exploded into a scoring spurt, Whitmore dunked, Green singled Allen for a layup and Brooks hit a three-pointer. At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets led the Cavaliers 33-27. In the second quarter, Niang hit consecutive three-pointers, but the Rockets blossomed on the offensive end to extend the lead to double digits. Then, the Cavaliers burst into a wave of scoring climaxes, closing the gap to 1 point. Immediately afterwards, Green carried the banner of the Rockets' offense and led the team to a scoring climax to establish a lead. At halftime, the Rockets 68-54 Cavaliers. Mitchell shot 3-of-3 from the opening game and then hit 0-of-7 shooting, while Green (16 points), Shin Kyung (12 points), and Brooks (13 points) from the Rockets all scored double-doubles.

In the rematch, Mitchell and Garland continued to score points with Garland's inside and outside shots to lead the Cavaliers to successfully close the score, and when Mitchell and Garland hit three-pointers one after another, the Cavaliers closed the gap to 6 points. VanVleet and Tate helped the Rockets stabilize the situation on the court a little. The Cavaliers then organized a new round of counterattacks, but the Rockets quickly responded with Adams scoring back-to-back points through free throws and Green hitting a three-pointer, giving the Rockets a 17-point advantage at the end of the third quarter.

In the final quarter, the two sides alternated points in the opening stage of the game, and when Ethan counterattacked and scored, the Rockets led by 14 points. Then, the Cavaliers hit consecutive three-pointers to launch a new round of counterattack, but the Rockets quickly responded to stabilize the game, and when Shin Jing scored on a shot, the Rockets were 119-110. Then, the Cavaliers scored a high point to chase the score to 124-124. At the end of the quarter, the Rockets scored 3 points in a row, Mitchell made 2 of 3 free throws, and Amen and VanVleet scored free throws to help the Rockets seal the win.

Both sides start

Cavaliers: Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, Strus, Allen;

Rockets: Green, Brooks, Shin Jing, VanVleet, Amen;