The Houston Rockets secured their 15th straight win after beating the Boston Celtics in a thrilling encounter on Saturday night.In a marquee, nationally televised showdown between two of the league's elite teams, the Rockets rallied late in the game and held out for a 123-120 victory at home.But it didn't come easy as they were made to work extremely hard by a resilient Celtics team who were determined to end Houston's winning run.The game came down the stretch and it was the Rockets who produced the big moments in crunch time.Boston held a 113-107 lead with just four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter but the home side reeled off a 16-7 run to keep their stunning streak alive.Trevor Ariza played a huge part in this as he hit several clutch buckets in the final 90 seconds.With Houston down 115-112, superstar James Harden missed a three-pointer and the rebound was secured by Celtics guard Terry Rozier.However, with an impressive hustle play, P.J. Tucker was able to rip the ball out of his hands and Chris Paul picked up the loose ball.He immediately zipped the ball to a wide-open Ariza and he drained a three-pointer to tie the game in dramatic fashion with just 1:33 on the clock.The veteran wasn't done there either as he managed to come up with a steal on the following Celtics possession and raced down the court to lay the ball in and give his team a two-point lead with the crowd inside the Toyota Center in raptures.

The 32-year-old's big clutch plays allowed the Rockets to hold on and secure a morale-boosting win in what could potentially be a preview of this year's finals.

"It's a huge step for us," Ariza said after the game, per ESPN. "We haven't had many games like that this year. Tonight definitely proved to us that we can win in that style of basketball, a grind-it-out type of game."

Ariza finished the contest with 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting, three steals, three rebounds, and two assists in 34 minutes of action.

The Texas-based franchise keeps its grip on the number one spot in the Western Conference with a 49-13 record and will now embark on a tough three-game road trip where they'll look to keep their winning streak alive.

It starts with a mouthwatering encounter with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.