Alperen Sengun put up 26 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Houston Rockets past the Boston Celtics 109-93 on Monday night at Toyota Center. The win pushed Houston to 7-1 on the season, while Boston dropped to 5-2.
Sengun’s near triple-double set the tone, but it was Houston’s defense that broke the game open. The Rockets outscored the Celtics 28-21 in the second quarter and never trailed again, eventually building a lead as large as 18 points. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds, but he shot just 5 of 16 from the field and the Celtics managed only 39% shooting as a team.
Key Moments: How Houston Pulled Away
The game was tied at 29 after a frantic first quarter that saw 10 lead changes and ties, capped by Jayson Tatum sinking two free throws at the buzzer. Houston answered immediately to start the second, with Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun combining to push the Rockets in front for good.
A stretch midway through the second quarter turned the game. Tari Eason hit back-to-back buckets, Amen Thompson added a running dunk, and Oscar Tshiebwe scored on a feed from Thompson to push Houston’s lead to 11 points, 40-51, by halftime. The Rockets never allowed the Celtics closer than nine points the rest of the way, outscoring Boston 52-43 over the final two quarters.
Houston’s offense ran through the paint and the open floor. The Rockets scored 50 points in the paint compared to 34 for Boston and piled up 18 fast break points to the Celtics’ two. Houston also shot 54% from the field for the game against Boston’s 39%.
Top Performers
Sengun anchored Houston’s attack, going 12 of 15 from the floor to go with his 10 assists and seven rebounds. Jabari Smith Jr. added 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, shooting 4 of 5 from three-point range. Kevin Durant finished with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and Amen Thompson contributed 14 points. Fred VanVleet dished out nine assists.
For Boston, Tatum’s 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds led all categories for the Celtics, who got a bench boost from Neemias Queta with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Derrick White struggled offensively, finishing with seven points on 3-of-12 shooting, and Sam Hauser was held to two points in 19 minutes.
What It Means
Houston’s win extended its winning streak to two games and kept the Rockets atop the Southwest Division at 7-1, 0.5 games ahead of Memphis. Boston’s loss, its second against five wins, dropped the Celtics to second in the Atlantic Division, 1.5 games behind Philadelphia. Houston also took a 1-0 lead in the season series between the two teams.
The Rockets’ balance showed up across the box score. Houston finished with 34 assists on 43 made baskets and committed just 13 turnovers, while forcing Boston into 15 turnovers of its own. The Celtics shot only 29% from three-point range, going 12 of 42, a key factor in their inability to keep pace after falling behind.
What’s Next
Houston hosts its next game while Boston continues its road stretch. The Rockets, off to their best start in years, look to extend their streak atop the Southwest Division. The Celtics aim to bounce back as they chase Philadelphia in the Atlantic.s push to stay atop the Southwest standings and Boston’s effort to close the gap in the Atlantic Division as both teams continue their seasons.
More matchup context is available in the Celtics vs. Rockets preview published ahead of Monday’s game.
Boston will look to bounce back after also suffering a setback earlier this season, detailed in the recap of the Celtics’ overtime win over the Nets. Houston, meanwhile, continues to be viewed as one of the league’s early-season surprises, a trend discussed in Total Apex’s breakdown of contenders’ roster signals after the opening weeks of the season.
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