Celtics Recap: C's fall in Houston and make history in the process

HOUSTON -- After a hot start and big victory over the Brooklyn Nets this past Wednesday, the Boston Celtics had a tough night in Houston against James Harden and the Rockets. Boston shot just 35% from the field and went 1-25 from beyond the arc. While the tempo did pick up down the stretch, it just was not enough to overcome the 20 point lead the Rockets maintained throughout the entire game. To quote Mike Gorman, "the ball just wasn't going in tonight."

Box Score | Play By Play | Shot Chart

No Luck: After going 8-17 from three point range during their home opener, the Celtics went 1-25 tonight. Long distance was not the only issue for Boston; they were out rebounded early which lead to Houston jumping out quick and maintaining a double-digit cushion through four quarters. They prevented Boston to getting into transition which ground effective offense to a halt.

Foul Trouble: All of the Celtics bigs got in foul trouble almost immediately upon walking on the floor. Fouls and free throws made a huge impact on the pace and lack of Celtics momentum as Houston was able to capitalize on every trip to the line; they shot 25-40 from the charity strip compared to the Celtics 15-18. Despite uninspired play for the entire second half of basketball, they killed it at the line and were able to maintain a lead throughout the entire game.

Mamba Points: While Brian Scalabrine is on his way to being the color guy of the future for the Celtics, he's got a little bit of work to do before he's dropping truth bombs like Tommy Heinsohn. He did have some great insights on the opportunity that this game presented:

On the opportunity in front of the Celtics in the second half:

This is uninspired basketball by the Rockets so far that the Celtics have to capitalize on right now. You’re down big on the road. You have an opportunity to make a run; you need to make that run.

Highlight(s) of the Night: You had to look really close to see them, but there were a few highlights. Rajon Rondo logged 10 rebounds and 8 assists, Sullinger's individual effort continues to impress as he put up 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Marcus Thornton's hustle plays in the second half led to a nice spark off the bench for the Celtics in the 4th quarter.

Gut Reaction: Not a great outing for Boston. Early foul trouble, going 1-25 from beyond the arc, and lack of turning rebounds into offense made it tough for the Celtics to establish the uptempo pace that paid dividends for them in the opener against Brooklyn. This was the worst three point shooting game in the history of the Celtics franchise. History made, team.

Looking Ahead: The Celtics will next face Dirk, the Chandlers, and the Mavericks as they travel to Dallas for Monday.

Follow Padraic O'Connor on Twitter @padraic_oconnor

Photo Source: ESPN