On December 30th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued with a match between the Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat at the Rockets' home court. The game was closely contested, with neither team able to pull away, as the Rockets struggled with their outside shooting and trailed by 3 points at halftime. However, Green had a sudden burst in the second half, taking control of the game for a while, but the Rockets collapsed again in the crucial moments, allowing a 17-2 run by the Heat, leading to a loss of composure among the players and a fierce altercation between Amen and Herro. Ultimately, the Rockets lost 100-104 to the Heat, suffering their second consecutive defeat due to a late-game collapse.
The Rockets have not defeated the Heat in five seasons, but the players still wanted to win. They did not start the game strongly, with both teams engaged in a tug-of-war, the score remaining close, and the Rockets relying on Shen Jing to keep them in the game. In the second half, Green started scoring consistently, taking the lead at one point and maintaining it into the final quarter. However, the offense stalled again, and the Heat capitalized with a decisive 17-2 run, leaving the Rockets unable to recover and resulting in another defeat.
In the previous game against the Timberwolves, the Rockets also collapsed in the last quarter, losing after a 15-2 run by Minnesota. This time, the Rockets initially held the lead, but their offense suddenly faltered, failing to score, while the Heat turned the game around with a 17-2 run, turning a 7-point deficit into an 8-point lead. The Rockets suffered another collapse, with both defeats following the same pattern.
As the game reached its climax and the Rockets were unable to score, tensions on the court escalated, with Amen directly pulling down Herro, sparking a violent conflict that involved Green and Rozier. Chaos ensued, with referees and security personnel intervening to separate the players, preventing the situation from escalating further. In the end, five players from the Rockets—Amen, Green, Udoka, and an assistant coach—were ejected, along with VanVleet earlier in the game, making a total of five ejections for the team. On the Heat's side, Herro and Rozier were also ejected, with potential additional penalties after the game.
The Rockets played a frustrating game, having had the opportunity to secure victory but collapsing once again in the final moments. Shen Jing scored 18 points, 18 rebounds, and 6 assists; Brooks had 22 points; Green scored 19 points; and VanVleet contributed 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Additionally, VanVleet, considered the team's brain, made a critical mistake with a five-second violation on an inbound pass, followed by berating the referee and being ejected, costing the team a chance at victory.