Rockets survive Cavs after Garland misses 2 of 3 FTs with chance to win

The Houston Rockets barely escaped Wednesday with what may be their biggest win of the season.

Houston defeated the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers 109-108 after Darius Garland failed to convert two of three free throws with 2.8 seconds left following a close-out foul by Tari Eason that was upgraded to a flagrant 1.

Garland did hit the third, giving the Cavs one last opportunity in the final seconds to inbound the ball and win with any shot from the floor. However, Donovan Mitchell's turnaround heave from the corner only found the front of the rim, allowing the Rockets to hold on.

Just seconds prior to Garland's trip to the line, Rockets center Alperen Sengun gave his side what turned out to be a decisive two-point lead when he hit both free throws stemming from a loose ball foul on Cavs center Jarrett Allen.

A 90.1% free-throw shooter entering Wednesday's clash, Garland had missed two or more attempts from the line in a single game just twice all season. He went 2-of-4 on Dec. 30 in an 18-point win over the Golden State Warriors and was 4-of-6 against the Indiana Pacers in a win on Jan. 14. However, he was just 3-of-8 Wednesday against the Rockets - his worst percentage from the charity stripe all season.

The Cavaliers guard still led his team with 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting (3-of-6 from three) in the loss. Rockets guard Fred VanVleet also scored 26. Sengun tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Amen Thompson added a 16-point, 16-rebound double-double.

Houston's win continues to give the team a slight edge over the Memphis Grizzlies for the second seed in the Western Conference.

Despite the loss, Cleveland maintains a six-game lead over the Celtics at the top of the East.