NEW YORK — In an electrifying finish, the Brooklyn Nets secured a thrilling 99-97 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, marking their first home win in two months.
With just 8.1 seconds left on the clock, the Nets were trailing 97-93 when Tosan Evbuomwan made a crucial inbounds pass to Keon Johnson. Johnson nailed a 3-pointer from the wing to bring Brooklyn within one point. Shortly after, Houston’s Amen Thompson made a mistake on an inbounds pass, which skipped past Dillon Brooks. Evbuomwan was quick to tip the loose ball to D’Angelo Russell, who promptly hit another 3-pointer, giving the Nets a narrow lead with just 3.4 seconds remaining.
The Rockets had a chance to tie but Jalen Green’s deep 3-pointer attempt fell short as time expired. This victory allows Brooklyn, now standing at 17-33, to break an 11-game home losing streak at the Barclays Center.
Keon Johnson led the Nets with 22 points, while both Evbuomwan and Nic Claxton contributed with 14 points each. D’Angelo Russell, despite shooting only 3-of-15 from the field, finished with 10 points.
On the Rockets’ side, Alperen Sengun was a standout with an impressive performance of 24 points and 20 rebounds. Reed Sheppard and Dillon Brooks also offered solid support, adding 16 points each to the scoreboard for Houston, who now holds a 32-18 record. The Rockets have hit a rough patch, suffering four consecutive losses, two of which were at the hands of the Nets, following a successful stretch that included four wins.
In terms of individual achievements, Amen Thompson was recently named the Western Conference Player of the Month for January, highlighting his defensive capabilities with averages of 1.4 blocks and 2.2 steals across 12 games. He has notably been the sole player during that stretch to average over two steals and one block per game.
From Brooklyn’s perspective, this victory is significant as they completed a season sweep over the Rockets, a feat not accomplished since the 2022-23 season.
A key moment in the game occurred when the Nets, down by nine points midway through the third quarter, went on a 14-0 run, with all the scores coming from Claxton and Tyrese Martin.
The Nets last celebrated a home win on December 4 against Indiana, emphasizing the importance of this victory. Looking ahead, Brooklyn’s six-game homestand continues as they face Washington next, while Houston will look to reset as they travel to Minnesota on Thursday.
