AMEN Thompson completed a three-point play with 17.2 seconds left to lift the Houston Rockets past the Los Angeles Clippers 115–113 on Thursday night (Friday, Dec. 12, 2025, PH time), according to the Associated Press.
Thompson tipped in an Alperen Sengun miss to break a 110–110 tie, drew a foul from Kris Dunn, and hit the free throw. The putback came off Houston’s third offensive rebound of the possession and 21st of the night. He finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Houston (16–6) dominated the boards 51–28 and avoided losing back-to-back games for the first time since Oct. 24.
The Clippers had two late chances to tie, but Kawhi Leonard was whistled for an offensive foul and Nicolas Batum committed a violation on an inbounds play.
Sengun led the Rockets with 22 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists. Jabari Smith Jr. added 18 points, while Kevin Durant scored 13 of his 16 points in the third quarter after shaking off a
slow start.
Ivica Zubac matched a season high with 33 points on 13-of-14 shooting for Los Angeles. Leonard added 24 in 41 minutes and James Harden scored 22 against his former team. The Clippers (6–19) have lost three straight and eight of nine.
Pelicans 143, Blazers 120
Jordan Poole scored 22 points in his return from an 18-game absence as the New Orleans Pelicans snapped a seven-game skid with a 143–120 win over the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers.
Trey Murphy III scored 24, while Bryce McGowens hit all five of his threes and tied a career high with 23 points. It was New Orleans’ second win since James Borrego replaced Willie Green as coach on
Nov. 15.
Shaedon Sharpe scored 21 for Portland, which had only 10 available players.
Six Pelicans scored at least 15, including rookies Jeremiah Fears (19) and Derik Queen (17). New Orleans also set a franchise record with 86 points in the paint.
Nuggets 136, Kings 105
Nikola Jokic had 36 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists as the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 136–105 win over the Sacramento Kings for a franchise-record 11th straight
road victory.
Peyton Watson added 21 points for Denver (18–6), which shot 59 percent and completed a 4–0 trip. Jokic hit 14 of 16 shots, including two three-pointers, and did not play in the fourth.
Malik Monk led Sacramento (6–19) with 18 points. Russell Westbrook had 17, and Maxime Raynaud added 15 points and nine rebounds.
Bucks 116, Celtics 101
Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 31 points and Bobby Portis added 27 points and 10 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Boston Celtics 116–101 without
Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Portis hit two early fourth-quarter threes to put Milwaukee up 95–82. He hit 11 of 13 shots overall and five of six from deep. Kevin Porter Jr. had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists.
Jaylen Brown scored 30 and Jordan Walsh added 20 for Boston, whose five-game winning streak ended.
Milwaukee improved to 2–7 without Antetokounmpo, who missed his third straight game with a right calf strain and is expected to be out two to four weeks. / LBG