The Houston Rockets stretched their winning streak to nine matches, with Fred VanVleet playing a starring role as they beat the Miami Heat.

Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka saluted his players for freeing up top-scoring Fred VanVleet, while limiting Andrew Wiggins during their victory over the Miami Heat.

The Rockets made it nine straight victories as they prevailed 102-98 on Friday, while condemning their opponents to a 10th successive defeat.

VanVleet led the way for Houston with 37 points, shooting 13 for 17 from the field and making nine of 11 three-pointers.

And Udoka was pleased by the way his team worked together to facilitate the point guard's match-winning contribution.

"Our guys did great jobs freeing Fred up," he told reporters during his post-match press conference. "We caused a little confusion and just enough space for him to get those shots off, or get downhill and attack.

"Being the point guard, he has it in his hands. We call sets to get him open, but he knows, and he calls up the advantage that he likes. From there, he's going to make the right decision, whether he's scoring or assisting."

Wiggins contributed 30 points to Miami's cause, though just eight of those came in the second half after the Rockets tightened up defensively.

"I felt he was too comfortable," Udoka added. "We wanted to up our physicality.

"He had nothing to do with the play, and we were just losing him. I didn't love the fact he had 22 [points] at the half and was impacting the game the way he did. Our men took exception to that and really clamped him up in the second half."