Everything you need to know about the Rockets beating the Celtics 115-104 with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
HEADLINES
Celtics no-show first half on their way to another ugly defeat: The Celtics showed some life in the fourth quarter after a horrendous first-half performance that earned them boos from the Garden crowd, but it was too little, too late against the firepower of the Rockets offense. James Harden scored a game-high 42 points while Eric Gordon (32 points) tied a career-high with eight 3s, helping the visitors hold off a late charge from Boston on their way to a 115-104 victory. Kyrie Irving had a team-high 24 points for the Celtics who trailed by as many as 28 points in the second half before being rallied back into the game by the bench unit in the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown was terrific off the bench with 15 points and 6 rebounds and Al Horford added 19 points for the C's who have now dropped five of their last six games since the All-Star Break and remain three games out of the four seed in the Eastern Conference.
Marcus Morris gets benched for final 18 minutes of second half: The veteran carried the Celtics during the first half of the regular season, but he’s been a liability for the past few weeks now and found himself on the bench in the fourth quarter for the second straight game as Brown and the second unit helped to spark a comeback that fell short. Morris was scoreless on the night for the first time all season with a couple of turnovers. Brown scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter on 4-of-5 shooting.
Kyrie keeps it short with media: After an underwhelming defensive performance, the All-Star said just 28 words in his postgame press conference despite being asked seven questions. Whether this maneuver was an attempt to stick it to the media in the wake of the speculation about the future or a sign he is withdrawing on a wider scale remains unclear but it marks the second time in the past week (Toronto) when the 26-year-old has not given more than a few words to each question about the team's struggles.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics made one last gasp at closing the gap in the final two minutes by trimming the Rockets lead down to eight and gaining possession after a stop. Jayson Tatum (5-of-15 FG) tried to drive the length of the court on savvy veteran defender PJ Tucker, and Tucker stripped him in the paint, putting an end to the C’s chances of pulling off a 22-point fourth quarter comeback.
TWO UP
Al Horford: One of the few players that wasn’t a complete liability in the first half. He made six of his first seven shots from the field and has remained the most consistent Celtic in the midst of this miserable stretch over the past three weeks. If anything, the C’s need to be looking for him more on the offensive end in lieu of firing up constant bricks from the perimeter. He finished with 19 points, marking the sixth time he’s reached the 15-point mark over his last eight games.
Marcus Smart/Jaylen Brown: The constant energy level remains in place for the backcourt duo who played with energy against James Harden on a night that many of their teammates lacked that drive. Both forced Harden into an inefficient night from the field 14-of-31, which included several tough shots. Brown played with tremendous energy in the fourth quarter on defense and in transition despite his consistent outside shooting woes.
TWO DOWN
Gordon Hayward: More of the same from the former All-Star, who continues to lack the necessary foot speed to gain separation against an athletic team like Rockets. Hayward missed four of his first five shots and despite being on the floor during the fourth quarter run, was a net negative in the early going. C’s need him to get activated far earlier in games.
Marcus Morris: Two ugly turnovers, no made field goals and some horrendous defense over the course of his 17 minutes. It’s been a brutal second half of the season for the veteran forward but he earned an early benching in favor of Aron Baynes midway through the third quarter and could find himself coming off the bench permanently since he’s bringing little to the table on a nightly basis right now.
TOP PLAY
JB drops the hammer! ? pic.twitter.com/d0tM0mnwBT
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 3, 2019