Celtics Rockets Recap



The Celtics fall to 3-4 after a brutal 128-101 loss to the Houston Rockets. From the opening tip, the Rockets were the better, more energized team. 

In the first quarter, the Rockets established themselves immediately, winning the quarter 37-24, and clearly proving to be the more talented team. The Celtics defense had no answers for the Rockets fast pace and ball movement, as they recorded 11 first-quarter assists. 

Jaylen Brown got off to his usual fast start, going 4/8 for 8 points. Outside of Brown, the offense struggled, going just 6/16.

In the second quarter, the defense was slightly better, allowing just 29 points and forcing 6 turnovers. Offensively, things were still a struggle. They scored just 24 points on 38% shooting. Houston's defense played the passing lanes perfectly, disrupting the Celtics ball movement and forcing tough shot attempts. Heading into the half, the Rockets led 66-48. 

The third quarter was much of the same, losing the quarter 31-24, with no consistency on either side of the ball. The Celtics took 9 more shots in the quarter but scored 7 fewer points. This was due to the Celtics shooting poorly, as well as the Rockets shooting 17 free throws. 

Both teams closed out the game primarily with their benches, with the final score being 128-101. The Celtics now fall to 3-4 and 9th in the Eastern Conference. 

                                  The good

The only aspect where the Celtics played well was forcing turnovers. They forced 18 of them, which led to 23 points off turnovers. 

        
                               The bad

This was a complete team loss on both sides of the ball. Defensively, they did not play physically and were consistently missing rotations. The Rockets shot 19/29 from three; that is simply inexcusable. 

The offense as a whole shot poorly, shooting just 38% from the floor. Derrick White, however, has been awful all year, and that continued in this game, scoring just 5 points on 2/11 shooting. White's struggles have now become a real concern. 

Defensive fouling is still a problem. The Celtics committed 25 personal fouls, which led to the Rockets shooting 35 free throws. 

         
                                 Conclusion 

This was a game where the Celtics were simply outmatched in talent while on the second night of a back-to-back against a top Western Conference contender. There are some problems that have now become a consistent issue, but this is more of a game that was lost in the offseason. The Celtics will head home to take on a 2-4 Jazz team and try to get back to .500. 

Share