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Houston Rockets · Temporarily delayed by an unexpected confetti explosion prior to putting their nine-game winning streak on the line, the Houston Rockets made certain to become the night’s second thing the Oklahoma City Thunder couldn’t stop from flying through the air on its home floor. The NBA’s at-the-time hottest team and entirely aware of it, the Rockets — without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to contend with — took full advantage, matching the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed blow-for-blow during a memorable late-season triumph. Despite dazzling efforts from Jalen Green (37 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, seven 3-pointers), Amen Thompson (25 points, 15 rebounds), and up-to-the-task contributions from the other three starters, Houston was forced to sweat through the game's finale. Armored with playoff-like resiliency, the Rockets bounced back from a five-point lead in the final 1:25, channeling both clamp-down defense and timely scoring. Surviving everything from Oklahoma City’s zone to heightened performances from its supporting cast, Houston focused in, carving out win No. 10 of their 11-game streak. The character-building victory put breath to the figurative necks of the Western Conference’s No. 10 seed, leaving them just a single game back of an improbable sneak through the Play-In Tournament’s backdoor on March 27, 2024. · State of Mint