The Houston Rockets defeated the Boston Celtics 114-112 with an Amen Thompson game-winner. Thompson had 33 points while Dillon Brooks scored 36 with a career-high 10 three-pointers. Jaylen Brown led Boston with 28, but it was not enough. The Celtics were without Derrick White, Al Horford, and Sam Hauser, while the Rockets missed Cam Whitmore and Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets improved to 31-14, and the Boston Celtics dropped to 32-15.
A Close First Half
The Boston Celtics took care of business in their last meeting with the Rockets. They got off to a good start here, making their first four shots to take a 9-2 lead. Kristaps Porzingis and Brown were hot, and their scoring put Boston ahead. Brooks also shot well, making four three-pointers in the first quarter. This helped Houston trim the deficit and take the lead on a 14-0 run. Thompson’s athleticism was making a difference, and the Rockets dominated the transition. The Celtics‘ offense was shut down after their hot start and fell behind. At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets led 31-27. Thompson had 14 points, and Brooks had 12. Brown had 10 points.
The game got much more physical in the second quarter. Both teams were committing fouls and getting chippy with one another. Porzingis picked up a technical foul for taunting Brooks after a dunk. The game remained close throughout this despite Jayson Tatum being scoreless. Houston began to extend their lead with another hot shooting stretch and went on a 12-2 run. This put them up by double digits. The Boston Celtics made efforts to cut the lead, going on a 13-4 run to end the half. Brown, Porzingis, and Jrue Holiday led the charge. At halftime, the Rockets led 54-52.
In the first half, Houston was getting great play out of Thompson and Brooks. Brooks had 17 points with five three-pointers, and Thompson had 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting. The duo combined for 33 of the team’s 54 points. The Rockets’ physicality on defense was giving the Celtics problems, and their shots were falling. The Boston Celtics were led by Brown and Porzingis. Brown had 16 points, while Porzingis had 15. But the most glaring stat was Tatum with 0 points on 0-of-5 shooting. Boston closed the second quarter strong but would need Tatum if they wanted a chance at winning.
Boston Celtics Lose at the Buzzer
Tatum scored his first points in the third quarter, but Brooks remained hot for the Rockets. He hit three more three-pointers, giving him a career-high. Brooks and Brown began to trade baskets, and while Brown’s scoring excited the Boston crowd, Houston maintained their lead. They built on their lead with an 8-0 run. Then, Tatum finally began to assert himself on offense, getting to the basket and knocking down shots. Tatum’s aggression helped the Boston Celtics trim the deficit, but Brooks was on a heater. Not only was he making three-pointers, but he was getting tough baskets inside. But the Celtics fought back and took the lead. Through three quarters, the Boston Celtics led 89-85.
The Boston Celtics started the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run, giving them a double-digit lead. But the Rockets responded with buckets from Brooks and Jalen Green. Their defense tightened up, and they went on a 13-0 run, taking the lead with five minutes remaining. A Holiday three-pointer put Boston back ahead, but both teams went back and forth. Porzingis got a dunk and blocked a Sengun layup, but Brooks’ tenth three-pointer gave Houston a lead. A Thompson bucket put the back ahead with a minute left.
This gave the Boston Celtics a final shot, where Brown got fouled with 11 seconds left. Brown made both free throws to tie the game. But the Celtics defense gave up a wide-open cut to the basket for a Sengun dunk, putting Houston up by two. Tatum then answered, driving inside to tie the game once again. The Rockets had another final shot with five seconds to go. Thompson got the ball and drove inside, making a game-winning layup over Brown. Houston defeated the Boston Celtics 114-112.
Final Thoughts
The Houston Rockets improved to 31-14 with the win. Brooks had 36 points, shooting a career-high 10-of-15 from three. The Rockets shot 41.5% from three, mainly because of Brooks’ contributions. Thompson had 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting and the game-winning shot. They earned a tough victory and continued climbing the Western Conference ranks. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics fell to 32-15 with the loss. Brown scored 28 points, and Tatum finished with 19. But miscommunications on the final defensive possessions cost them another heartbreaker. They started the year 21-5 and are 11-10 since then.
