The Boston Celtics defeated the Houston Rockets 109-86. The trio of Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Payton Pritchard combined for 63 points in the victory. Jalen Green scored 27 points for Houston, but a cold second half cost them this game. The Celtics played without Jaylen Brown and Al Horford, but Kristaps Porzingis was back in the lineup. The Rockets were missing Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Jabari Smith Jr. The Boston Celtics improved to 26-9 while the Rockets fell to 22-12.
A Competitive First Half
The night after a nailbiter in Minnesota, the Boston Celtics got off to a modest start. Both teams traded baskets until Houston built a small lead. Alperen Sengun was effective scoring in the post with 8 points. Derrick White and Jrue Holiday helped the Boston offense get rolling, and a Holiday three-pointer gave them the lead. The Celtics went on a 10-0 run capped off with a Luke Kornet dunk. This run helped them push their lead to double digits. Timely baskets from Fred Vanvleet and Jalen Green helped the Rockets trim the deficit and at the end of the first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 37-31. Holiday had 12 points and Payton Pritchard had 10 off the bench.
Houston came out aggressive in the second quarter and wasted no time cutting into Boston’s lead, but the Celtics regrouped going on a 10-2 run, with a sweet reverse layup by Pritchard. Still, the Rockets stayed within striking distance as Green heated up from three. Green made two consecutive three-pointers, and the whole Houston team was hot from beyond the arc. The Rockets made it a one possession game multiple times in the quarter. A scoring stretch from Jayson Tatum helped the Boston Celtics build a 65-56 lead heading into halftime.
It was a close first half, but the Boston Celtics managed to hang onto their lead. Pritchard led the team with 14 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting. Tatum was not far behind with 13 points, while Holiday and White each had 12. The Celtics were shooting 12-of-23 from three for an astounding 52.2%, but the Houston Rockets were playing tough. Sengun and Green each scored 14 points in the first half. The Rockets were shooting 36.8% from three, which is still a good percentage. The Boston Celtics had a lead, but they had let games like this slip away in the past, and Houston was hungry.
The Boston Celtics Pull Ahead
Green continued to score for the Rockets in the third quarter, with a posterizing dunk. Green tried to will Houston back into the game, but the Boston Celtics held onto their lead. White was effective in the third quarter, scoring on floaters and threes and assisting on alley-oops. Both teams then went through a scoring drought as the defenses tightened up on both sides. The Celtics and Rockets were missing shots and turning the ball over a combined 13 times in the quarter. This went on until Tatum dropped Cam Whitmore on a step-back three. At the end of the third quarter, the Boston Celtics led 82-72.
The Rockets defense forced more turnovers in the fourth quarter but struggled to convert them to points on the other end. The Boston Celtics opened the final quarter on an 11-0 run, pushing their lead past 20 points. White was an effective scorer for Boston, helping them extend and maintain their lead. A deep three from Pritchard effectively sealed the game and both teams subbed in their bench units. The Celtics have lost games like this before, so it was encouraging to see them pull away for the win. The Rockets scored a total of 30 points in the second half, and the Boston Celtics won 109-86.
Final Thoughts
The Boston Celtics improved to 26-9 with the win. White scored 23 points with six three-pointers. Tatum and Pritchard each scored 20 points. The Rockets dropped to 22-12 with the loss. Green led the way with 27 points and Sengun had 14. Houston’s shooting plummeted in the second half and it cost them this game. For the Boston Celtics, they’ve won the second game on their road stretch and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in a marquee matchup on Sunday.
