The Rockets hit two free throws late while the Cavaliers missed two free throws seconds later, allowing Houston to hold off Cleveland .

With the Cavaliers down two points, Darius Garland, their potential All-Star guard and 90 percent free-throw shooter, sat alone at the line with the chance to give Cleveland the lead. Even if he failed to make all three free throws, Cleveland, via a Flagrant One on the Rockets, would have the ball with a chance to seal the game.

Darius Garland is a 90% free throw shooter. That did not matter Wednesday night. The Cleveland point guard had a chance to give his Cavaliers the lead at the free throw line with 2.1 seconds remaining against the Houston Rockets.

Fans all made the same joke on Wednesday about Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland's late-game choke job.

Before the 2024-25 season started, Darius Garland thought about leaving the Cavaliers following their second-round exit from the playoffs.

Cleveland missed two key free throws in the final seconds of its 109-108 defeat to Houston on Wednesday night.

Alperen Sengun made two free throws with 4.5 seconds left and Darius Garland missed two of three free throws after that to allow the Houston Rockets to hold on for a 109-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers still had a chance for the win because of the flagrant foul. They retained possession and set up an inbounds play for a Donovan Mitchell game-winning attempt from the corner. But Amen Thompson got a hand in Mitchell's face, and his shot was well off-target.

Despite the loss, the Cavs remain top of the Eastern Conference, although the result snaps a two-game winning streak to leave their record at 36-7 – 11 ahead of second-placed Boston Celtics

James L. Edwards III, Fred Katz and Jay King analyze the Eastern Conference at the halfway point of the season.

Some scrappy plays and a few questionable calls contributed to a tough road loss for the Cavs. Donovan Mitchell also missed a pair of jumpers in the final seconds.