Everything you need to know about the Rockets' 111-110 win over the Celtics with BSJ insight and analysis
Box Score
TURNING POINT
The Celtics missed six consecutive shots in the final three minutes of the overtime period, failing to score a point in that stretch which opened the door for Harden to hit a pair of game-winning free throws with 24 seconds remaining.
TWO UP
Tatum: It wasn’t efficient but he was the only reliable source of offense for the Celtics in the second half, scoring a game-high 32 points while getting to the free-throw line 14 times on his way to a monster box scoreline that included 13 rebounds and 5 assists. He also added two steals and two blocks.
Theis: A quiet night for him offensively but he finished with a team-high 14 rebounds and made a number of game saving plays in the final two minutes of overtime including a great help block and one of his five offensive rebounds.
TWO DOWN
Celtics defensive rebounding: The Rockets are one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the league yet they still managed to pile up 9 offensive rebounds in the second half which led to 12 second-chance points, including several that came at critical junctures of the fourth quarter as the C’s blew boxouts.
Gordon Hayward in the second half: He did what he wanted against the Rockets early on but scored just two of his 18 points after intermission while looking passive with his shot attempts. C’s needed more from him in this one but he wasn’t quite up to the task against Houston’s physicality, going just 1-of-6 from the field in the final 29 minutes.
TWO TAKES B-ROBB WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
The Rockets look like a nightmare opponent for any team in the West: The Celtics won’t have to see Houston again this season and they should be happy for that with how scrappy this group looks. It remains to be seen whether small ball can sustain over three more months of regular season but the early product looks sensational. The Rockets improved to 11-3 since full committing to small ball with no true centers on the floor and 7-1 after acquiring Robert Covington via trade. Both PJ Tucker and Covington are making life tough for everyone at the rim while lulling teams out of their normal offenses and into isolation sequences with their switching. The Celtics made them pay for some of that tonight but no one was able to do so efficiently with only Hayward shooting over 40 percent from the field in the starting five. The Rockets made run into problems when they see some big man mismatches against the Lakers or Nuggets but in the meantime, this is a problem team for Boston and most other squads around the NBA. I’d expect them to make a strong run at the No. 2 seed.
The all-defense bench almost worked: A lot will be made of the Celtics bench scoring just four combined points in this one but the players Brad Stevens used were out there solely for their defense (outside of Brad Wanamaker). The gamble largely paid off as the grouping held their own in matchups against everyone but Westbrook and kept a high-powered Rockets offense under control for most of the night. The problem was the starting five saw some drop-off in efficiency that hasn’t been an issue during their hot stretch over the past month. The good news? A healthy returning Kemba Walker will help solve this problem on Tuesday or Wednesday as the C’s looked like they were one explosive weapon short in this one. Benching Enes Kanter was the right call but a rough shooting night against a surprisingly gritty Houston defense was the issue.