HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets defeated the Miami Heat 123-122 in the NBA with a last-second dunk by Amen Thompson, in a game that also featured a historic milestone: Kevin Durant surpassed Michael Jordan to move into fifth place on the league's all-time scoring list.
Durant finished the game with 27 points, enough to reach 32,294 career points, two more than the 32,292 Michael Jordan scored. The small forward achieved the milestone after making one of two consecutive three-pointers he hit in the fourth quarter, a moment when he even briefly raised his arms after sinking the shot that allowed him to surpass the legendary shooting guard.
The finish was frantic. With the game entering its final seconds, Durant launched a shot looking for the win, but his attempt bounced off the rim. Amen Thompson then appeared to tip the ball in at the last instant, securing the victory for Houston at Toyota Center.
Miami had taken the lead moments earlier. Bam Adebayo made two free throws and, shortly after, Jabari Smith Jr. was called for goaltending on a layup by Simone Fontecchio, a play that put the Heat ahead 122-121 with 5.4 seconds remaining, setting the stage for the final sequence.
Adebayo was Miami's offensive leader with 32 points and 21 rebounds, matching his career-high in rebounds. The center's performance came just eleven days after he scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards on March 10, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history.
The game featured multiple momentum swings in the fourth quarter. Miami led by 11 points early in the period, but Houston responded with a 15-0 run powered by two three-pointers from Jabari Smith Jr. and one each from Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday, allowing the Rockets to take a 106-102 lead with less than seven minutes remaining.
Fontecchio later broke a four-minute scoring drought for the Heat, but Holiday immediately answered with another three-pointer, keeping Houston ahead 109-105 midway through the fourth quarter.
Subsequently, Durant hit two consecutive three-pointers that extended the home team's lead to 117-109, a sequence that included the shot that allowed him to surpass Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list.
Miami fought back in the final seconds. After falling behind by eight points, the Heat responded with a 9-2 run, capped by a three-pointer from Fontecchio that cut the deficit to 119-118 with 46.3 seconds left. Reed Sheppard answered with a driving layup to make it 121-118 with 12.7 seconds remaining, before the chaotic finish that ended with Thompson's game-winning tip.
The victory allows the Houston Rockets to continue climbing the standings, while the Miami Heat suffer their fourth consecutive loss in the NBA.