Rockets offense explodes, overwhelming Boston with relentless defense and sharp shooting for their third consecutive road victory.
The Houston Rockets crushed the Boston Celtics 128-101 on Saturday at TD Garden for their third straight win. The defense stayed tight, the team looked like a cohesive unit, and it rained threes- the Celtics just could not recover from a first quarter deficit.
The Rockets brought the energy from the jump and did not let up. Josh Okogie came out of the gate with back-to-back threes, instantly setting the tone for a game Houston controlled from tip to buzzer. Kevin Durant also came out swinging, putting up 20 points in the first half alone.
Houston had already pushed their lead into double digits by the end of the first quarter. Their rebounding was relentless with missed shots turning into either kick-outs for clean perimeter looks or a reset inside. The Rockets stretched their lead to 12 with a 7-0 run halfway through the second quarter. Next thing you know, they were up by 20- after that, Boston wasn’t able to come back and their frustration was palpable.
Jabari Smith Jr. snuffed Jaylen Brown at the rim with the first of his four recorded blocks, and Amen Thompson answered with an immediate clean dunk. By the time halftime rolled around, Houston led 66–48 with nine made threes and a 12-rebound advantage.
The Rockets overpowered the Celtics with consistent and aggressive defense throughout, forcing 18 turnovers. Josh Okogie stayed on top of their lead scorer Brown, keeping him at just 12 points, down from an over 25 point-per-game average this season, per NBA.
Boston’s defense was aggressive in the paint, but opened opportunities for the Rockets to kick out to the outside for easy, wide open threes. The Rockets drew foul after foul inside and shot 25-for-35 from the line, while Boston attempted just seven free throws all game. Houston’s still leading the league in free-throw differential by far, while Boston continues to sit near the bottom, collecting fouls.
That “unselfish” play Houston flexed in their last game against the Raptors shined through once again. Durant finished with 26 points in three quarters (29 minutes). Smith added 17, and Thompson almost grabbed a triple-double (17-9-8). As usual, Alperen Şengün controlled the board with 16 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists, per the NBA Boxscore.
Houston’s size continues to be key to their overall strategy and identity, outrebounding Boston 53–36 and turning those offensive rebounds into second and third-chance points that just kept racking up.
After three straight wins, it’s clear the Rockets have found their tempo and continue to set the pace of the games on the road. Their size and constant, clean ball movement makes them just about impossible to guard. Udoka has clearly gotten his system down and the bench is deeper than thought. Houston is flat out dangerous- steamrolling every team in their path. And it seems like they’re just getting started.