The Boston Celtics are riding a five-game winning streak into Monday night, but every single one of those wins came against teams with losing records. Now, that perfect run is about to hit a brick wall, because the 5-1 Celtics are headed to Texas to face the 6-1 Houston Rockets. This isn’t just another game, folks; this is Boston’s first real test against a top seed this early in the season.
Houston’s House, Boston’s Back-to-Back Battle
The Celtics might be sitting at 5-1 and third in the Eastern Conference, matching their longest winning streak from last season, but their schedule has been a little soft. They haven’t faced a single top seed yet, which makes Monday’s matchup against the second-place Western Conference Rockets a whole different beast. Compounding that challenge, Boston just played on Sunday night in Florida, snatching a 108-97 road win against an undermanned Orlando Magic squad. That’s a back-to-back for Joe Mazzulla’s crew, though they are already 1-0 in those situations this season and have typically handled limited rest well.
Meanwhile, the Rockets are fresh, having last played on Friday evening at the Toyota Center where they absolutely crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 119-98. Houston is coming in hot, rested, and ready to protect their 6-1 record on their home court. This isn’t just about records, it’s about momentum and the type of competition each team has actually faced. The Celtics lost their regular-season opener to the Detroit Pistons, so they know what falling flat feels like. Can they keep their streak alive when the stakes get real?
Who’s On The Floor For This Early Season Showdown?
When it comes to who’s playing, the Celtics haven’t dropped an official injury report yet, but we do know guard Devin Carter has missed every game so far this season due to illness, specifically mononucleosis. Also, center Mitchell Robinson was sidelined for rest during the last game, so it’s a question mark if he returns for the second leg of this back-to-back. The probable starting five for Boston looks like Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Jordan Walsh, and Mitchell Robinson. If Robinson sits, that’s a big hole.
The Rockets, however, are dealing with multiple injuries. Steven Adams is out with a right soleus strain. Clint Capela is questionable with a right ankle sprain, and Reed Sheppard is also questionable with a low back strain. That’s some serious size and talent potentially on the sidelines for Houston. Even with those questions, their probable starting lineup is still looking strong with Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Fred VanVleet. This game is set for Monday, November 2, 2026, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. ET, and you can catch it on NBC Sports Boston or stream it on Fubo. Get ready, because this is going to be a statement game for one of these teams.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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