Rockets vs. Celtics Post-Game 1/21/24

Comeback Falls Short for Rockets in 116-107 Loss to Celtics

Death by Second Chance.    Burned by the Others.    Too Late.   

For the second and final time this season, the Rockets were outplayed by the Boston Celtics. This time the affair happened on their own court, Toyota Center, as Houston’s rally came up short in a 116-107 loss on Sunday night. The Rockets were out-hustled by the Celtics, and gave away too many second chances for Boston, leading to extra points. Despite rallying and making a better effort in the second half, Houston didn’t give themselves much of a chance with all the second-chance points they allowed the C’s to score.

The Rockets did a solid defensive job on Boston’s stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, only allowing the two to score 31 points combined. However, it was the Celtic role players, or “others” who really beat Houston on Sunday night. Boston’s third best player, Kristaps Porzingis, had a monster game, scoring 32 points to pace the Celtics. Derrick White added 21 points for Boston, who was in control for the entirety of the game. The Rockets trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half. They were able to cut the deficit to three points, 93-90, early in the fourth quarter, but that’s as close as Houston would get to a lead all night.

Alperen Sengun’s first triple-double of the season was spoiled in the loss. Sengun registered 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists as he continues to play at an All-Star level. Dillon Brooks led all Rockets players in scoring with 25 points. Amen Thompson had his best game of the season in his first career start. Thompson scored 15 points, grabbed 14 boards, and dished out 5 assists in a very impressive outing. Jalen Green scored 16 points on another frustrating shooting night for the guard, who only connected on one of his six three-point attempts.

This game was a tale of two halves. Houston came out sluggish in the first half, only to attempt a comeback that fell short in the second half. This has been an ugly trend for this Rockets team. They tend to get off to slow starts more often than not, and it’s incredibly hard to win coming from behind in this league. The squad really needs to dial in and focus during first quarters and first halves. If Houston continues to get off to sluggish beginnings, they’re going to have a tough time finishing above the .500 mark this season. Up next, the Rockets have a couple of much-needed days off to rest before hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night to close this three-game home-stand. The finale of this home stretch presents a much more winnable game for Houston. The Blazers have won of the worst records in the league, and the Rockets should be able to outplay them in Toyota Center to get back on the winning track.