While it wasn’t as dominant as the last time these two teams met, the Celtics once again had control for nearly the entire game – trailing for just nine seconds in their 116-107 win over Ime Udoka’s Houston Rockets, completing the sweep of the season series.
Boston’s offense was humming in the first half. Against Houston’s top-10-rated defense, the Celtics scored 70 points in the first half for the eighth time this season, taking a 15-point lead into the break.
Kristaps Porzingis led the first-half charge, finishing with a game-high 20 points, notching his second 20-point half of the season. Derrick White contributed another 16 while also snagging nine rebounds.
However, the second half wasn’t as commanding – as the Celtics once again struggled to score and were outscored 52-46, behind yet another lackluster third quarter. Boston lost the third frame 25-20 and has now been outscored in the third quarter in eight of their last 11 games.
Behind a game-high eight points in the fourth quarter from Jayson Tatum, timely buckets from Porzingis, and some significant contributions off the bench, Boston overcame the ugly second half – advancing to 33-10 on the year.
It wasn’t the prettiest game, but the Celtics, who were without Jrue Holiday (right elbow sprain) and Al Horford (rest), found a way to get it done – as they have so often this season.
Porzingis finished with a game-high 32 points on 11-of-21 (52.4%) shooting from the field and 6-of-11 (54.5%) from deep. The big man also corralled six rebounds and blocked five shots — passing Raef LaFrentz (2) for the most games with 30 or more points, five or more made threes, and five or more blocks in NBA history.
White finished with 21 points and a career-high 11 rebounds – marking his third double-digit rebound game of his career. The 6-foot-4 guard also recorded two blocked shots, bringing him to 45 on the season, the most by a guard – he is the only guard with 40 or more blocks.
On a night where Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for just 31 points on 10-of-31 (32.2%) shooting, the contributions from the supporting cast made all the difference – especially in the first half, giving the C’s enough of a cushion to withstand the rough second half.
Here are three takeaways as the Celtics improve to 9-1 following a loss this season and kick off their three-game road trip with a win.
Jaylen Brown’s continued growth
If you had Brown recording the Celtics’ first triple-double of the season on your bingo card, you would be a winner.
The All-NBA wing finished with 13 points on 6-of-14 (42.9%) shooting, grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists, also a team-high – en route to his third career triple-double. The 27-year-old also snatched a team-high three steals.
As Brown continues to push his All-NBA candidacy, he became the first Celtic since four-time All-Defensive selection Rajon Rondo to record a triple-double with at least three steals. Rondo did it in 2014.
Much like Rondo did throughout his career, Brown excelled in moving the ball and creating for his teammates, as his 10 assists led to 23 points for Boston.
“He’s becoming a better playmaker. He’s becoming a better guy of understanding the flow of the game,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said postgame. “There were a couple of plays that were a direct learning experience from the last game with the reads and them trying to change matchups and finding where that matchup is. And I thought Jaylen did a good job of just playing with poise, using his speed to generate a cross-match, finding it, and then making the right play. So he continues to get better and better.”
While it may not have been the typical scoring night we have grown accustomed to seeing from him, Brown impacted the game as a facilitator, a playmaker on the defensive end, and the glass – another testament to his leap this season.
“It speaks to his leadership, too,” Porzingis said. “He understands he doesn’t need to score 30 every night. He can have this kind of night where maybe he’s not making all the shots, but he’s just making those passes, making those reads for his teammates. For us, as a group, that’s a chain reaction.”
Brown’s improvement as a playmaker has provided a significant boost for the Celtics. Many had reservations about that area of Brown’s game at the beginning of the season, but he has excelled in that department.
It can’t be overstated. Brown is playing the best basketball of his career, which is crazy, considering he was already an All-NBA Second Team selection a season ago.
“Each night is going to be a different night,” Brown said postgame. “We got a good team, which doesn’t require me to score the ball. It requires you to be a basketball player.”
Brown took time to adapt to his new role, but now he’s flourishing, and his teammates are reaping the benefits.
Staying ready
With Holiday and Horford sidelined, Sam Hauser made his fifth spot-start of the season. After opening the game 1-of-6, Hauser kick-started Boston’s offense when he knocked down a three on the wing right in front of the Celtics’ bench – giving the C's a lead they never surrendered.
Midway through the fourth quarter, the Rockets had cut the lead to three. Luke Kornet checked in for Oshae Brissett and immediately rejected a running layup attempt from Houston’s Nate Williams.
Mazzulla called timeout, and after Porzingis knocked down an 11-footer over Cam Whitmore, Kornet came up with another big block – this time on Dillon Brooks.
Kornet snagged the ricochet, triggering a transition opportunity for the Celtics, which resulted in a Payton Pritchard corner three and a timeout for Houston – proving to be the dagger.
These plays epitomize the impact of Boston’s reserves on Sunday night, consistently stepping up and delivering winning plays.
“That’s why you put so much stock into them. That’s why you believe in them,” Mazzulla said postgame on his reserve unit. “They have to help you win games like that. It’s a long year. There are going to be nights where you aren’t at your best, but those guys brought it, so that’s big time.”
While Hauser, Pritchard, and Brissett all had impactful minutes, Kornet stood out the most.
The big man finished just shy of a double-double, scoring eight points and grabbing nine boards – five (!) of which were offensive. The Vanderbilt product also recorded an assist, a steal, and three blocks.
The early-season concerns about Boston's bench depth haven’t been as severe as many might have anticipated, as this group has consistently stepped up, putting the Celtics in a position to win games whenever their number has been called. In fact, their performance this season might make Brad Stevens more inclined to stand pat at the trade deadline.
The missing piece
Speaking of Stevens, the Porzingis addition was a grand slam.
The 7-foot-2 big man has been outstanding on both ends of the floor, offering a viable solution when Boston’s offense struggles and serving as an elite rim protector on the defensive end.
“Big difference maker,” Brown said on Porzingis postgame. “When teams start switching us and try to slow our offense down, we can always just go and find KP on those mid-post isolations. He’s great in those areas. Going forward and getting ready for [the] postseason, that’s stuff that we want to keep sharpening up, but we got all the trust in the world, and tonight we wanted to keep finding him, and the big fella got going tonight, and helped us win this game.”
Sunday night was a reminder of just how lethal Porzingis is.
The big man knocked down a season-high six threes while also feasting on mismatches in the post en route to his fourth 30-point game of the season. Notably, he became the first Celtic in franchise history to record five blocks and six threes in a game – an impressive feat for a franchise with a long history dating back to 1946.
Porzingis’s unique ability to stretch the floor while being near unstoppable in the post has been such a luxury for the Celtics, a luxury they have been lacking in past seasons. Not to mention, he has been incredibly reliable on defense.
The Latvian native has been a perfect fit for this Celtics team and has looked every bit the part of the missing piece Boston has been looking for.
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