The Boston Celtics’ five-game win streak ended abruptly, with the Houston Rockets taking a decisive 109-93 victory on Monday night. This loss marks a stumble for Boston, who now sit at 5-2 on the season, while Houston takes sole possession of the Western Conference lead with seven wins.
Early Blows and Shooting Woes
Houston wasted no time making a statement, kicking things off with a quick five points. Amen Thompson was on fire, aggressive attacking the basket for six points right out of the gate, and Kevin Durant drained a pair of turn-around jumpers. The Rockets grabbed an early ten-point lead and looked totally in control. For Boston, Jayson Tatum, fresh off his Eastern Conference Player of the Week award, was trying to get his teammates involved early, dishing out two assists by the six-minute mark. Baylor Scheierman even chipped in five points to start his game before hitting the bench.
But man, Boston’s shooting from deep was ice cold. After missing a shocking 32 of 44 three-pointers the night before against Orlando, they kept that brick-laying going, hitting just 1-of-9 from downtown to start this game! Talk about a rough patch. However, credit where it’s due: Luka Garza came off the bench and immediately made an impact. He drilled two straight triples in just three minutes of play, igniting a mini-run. Boston actually fought back and tied it up 29-29 after the first quarter. A little unsettling, though: Mitchell Robinson, one of the first guys off the bench alongside Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard, headed to the locker room late in the first with a thumb sprain after only playing a few minutes. Not what you want to see.
Running on Fumes as Houston Pulls Away
That close first quarter didn’t last. The Rockets cranked up the pressure in the second, outscoring the Celtics by seven points. You could tell Boston was feeling that back-to-back grind, especially with veteran Paul George resting after their Sunday road win over the Magic. Houston’s Alperen Sengun was an absolute beast in the paint, dominating with twelve points in the first half alone on 6-of-8 shooting. He led all scorers with 26 points by the end of the night.
Boston tried to keep pace. Luka Garza continued his hot hand, sinking his third three-pointer of the game from the corner, wide open. He had nine points by halftime in just eight minutes of action. Jayson Tatum, after playing the entire first quarter, got some much-needed rest in the second. Even Mike Conley, in his second game for his new team this year, popped in to hit a three-pointer in a super short stint. But it wasn’t enough. The full-strength Rockets, with their starting five of Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr, and Sengun, just kept pushing, and Boston eventually ran out of gas, ending their impressive streak.
Boston will need to shake off this loss and that lingering shooting slump. Their 5-2 start is still strong, but that back-to-back fatigue clearly showed. Houston, now leading the Western Conference, definitely sent a message.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Celtics Blog.
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