Rockets Torched by Celtics, 145-113, in Udoka’s Return to Boston
Big Beatdown. 120 and Done. Slam Whitmore.
Counter-indicative to the final score, the Rockets were more energetic coming out of the gate, compared to their previous game in Detroit. Houston held an early lead in the first quarter, and trailed by only four points after the first frame. However, after that, this game was all Boston. It seemed that the Rockets finally felt the wear and tear of three games in four nights, and their energy lessened as the game progressed. The Rockets have had bad losses by big numbers before, but this seemed like the worst beatdown the team’s suffered all year. Houston had no answer for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who combined to score 59 points to down the Rockets.
Houston is now 0-14 when allowing their opponent to score 120 or more points. The Rockets need to buckle down defensively. It was nice to see Dillon Brooks back on the court, as he scored 12 points in 25 minutes. The squad is eagerly anticipating the return of Tari Eason, hopefully in the coming weeks or less. They certainly need his presence on the defensive end.
For the first time in his career, Cam Whitmore led Houston in scoring, with a career-high 22 points off the bench. Whitmore continues to improve with each game. Expect the rookie to keep seeing more playing time as we’re almost set to embark on the second half of this season. The Rockets have now played 38 games, only 3 more remain before the halfway mark of 41 is reached. As of now, the squad is on pace for a 41-41 record. They’ll try and adjust their win pace before the halfway mark arrives, as the Rockets finish off this tough six-game road trip with a couple of battles against top-tier Eastern Conference foes.