Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Rockets: Boston's Defense and a Combined 77 Points from Tatum and Brown Power Third-Straight Victory

A breakdown of what stood out in each quarter of the Celtics' 126-102 win over the Rockets.

Bobby Krivitsky

Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
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The Celtics' 126-102 win over the Rockets is the latest example of Boston shifting back to an identity that begins with what it does on the defensive end.

Cold shooting doesn't distract from their focus, energy, or effort at that end of the floor. And the pendulum swinging back in that direction enables the Celtics to maintain an up-tempo pace.

That leads to paint touches and points, trips to the free-throw line, and open, in-rhythm threes against a defense that hasn't caught up or is scrambling.

While Boston's defense is becoming increasingly dependable, the team dealt with a curveball when eye irritation prompted a last-minute switch as Damon Stoudamire filled in for Joe Mazzulla as Celtics bench boss.

Post-game, Stoudamire said he "found out, probably with about ten on the clock."

And as luck would have it, Stoudamire's mom, in town to visit her son for Christmas, was in attendance for the matchup, making for quite the unexpected post-holiday present.

Now, for a deep dive into a game where Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown generated 77 points, carrying the scoring load while Boston's defense stifled the Rockets for most of the night.

Celtics Get Off to a Great Start Defensively, But Can't Find Their Rhythm at the Other End in Low-Scoring First Frame

The Celtics didn't hesitate to let it fly, taking 16/25 shots from beyond the arc in the first frame.

But Boston only knocked down four of those attempts, translating to a measly 25 percent success rate.

Still, with the hosts doing well to minimize quality looks for the opposition, limiting the Rockets to 21 points, the Celtics maintained an up-tempo pace and often generated good shots that didn't go down.

Their strong showing defensively included forcing five Houston turnovers, converting them into eight points.

And despite the home team's cold shooting, Jaylen Brown registered 15 points while going 6/11 from the field, including 3/6 from long range.

There was also an effort to help Sam Hauser recapture his rhythm from beyond the arc, but he missed the two open threes he hoisted.

Hauser holds up defensively and, at times, gets points at the rim off cuts, including when they lead to offensive rebounds, but if his shot's not falling, he's a regular season player, not one who brings much of a boost to Boston's playoff rotation.

As for the Rockets, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and KJ Martin each tied for a team-high five points.

Boston at Its Best to End the Second Frame

The Celtics played their best ball of the first half in the final, roughly three minutes of the second quarter.

The difference-maker was taking better care of the ball. With 3:47 left in the first half, Jaylen Brown's drive failed to create anything, but he at least turned the ball over out of bounds, committing a dead-ball giveaway instead of a live one, netting Houston a transition opportunity.

The Rockets parlayed that into a pair of free throws for Greene, who gave the visitors a 43-42 advantage. That also represented seven points off turnovers for Houston, who utilized those giveaways to help manufacture 16 points in the paint.

But that was Boston's last giveaway of the period. And since the Celtics were consistent on the defensive end, limiting the Rockets to 28 points in the second quarter after holding them to 21 in the first, protecting the rock made it easier to capitalize on their work at the opposite end.

Boston played more inside-out basketball, converting stops into paint touches or at least getting close enough to put the defense in rotation, leading to open, in-rhythm threes.

The Celtics made three of their final five three-point attempts.

Brown entered the break with 19 points, leading all scorers. Tatum, who generated 11 in the second frame, registered 16.

Kevin Porter Jr. paced the Rockets with 17 points and five assists.

After Slow Start, Celtics Re-Focus Defensively in Third Quarter

Boston's energy was at its lowest during the first five minutes of the third quarter; getting off to slow starts after halftime occurs too often, in this author's opinion, and it's something the Celtics shouldn't save for fixing against top competition.

But after a 10-5 Rockets run trimmed the gap to 65-62, Porter Jr., who rotated to contest a Jaylen Brown baseline jumper and violently swatted at the ball, missed, getting Brown in the face instead. That resulted in a flagrant foul and the latter earning two points at the line.

That and locking back in defensively set the table for a 9-3 run. 1:19 later, Brown went on an 8-2 burst. 

It began with him charging to the rim from the right slot, resulting in a three-point play. Then, he buried a three when Tari Eason went under a Robert Williams screen. He capped it by getting Martin to take the cheese as he pretended to step into a three before blowing by him for a left-handed jam.

Boston closed the period on an 8-2 run, featuring back-to-back threes by Grant Williams. There was also Malcolm Brogdon feeding the Timelord for a dunk with 0.1 seconds left on the shot clock -- initially ruled no basket, a call overturned after the quarter -- and Jalen Green burying a three at the buzzer from 26 feet.

That shot gave Green 18 points in the frame, but the hosts took a 90-81 advantage into the final 12 minutes.

Celtics Close the Game Out with a Terrific Two-Way Performance

Boston held its guests to 21 points in the final frame, matching its first-quarter performance.

Throughout nearly the entire night, even when the Celtics weren't making shots, that didn't negatively impact them defensively. Their energy and effort were consistent at that end, as they've been most of December.

In a testament to Boston doing an excellent job executing its switch-heavy scheme, the hosts limited the Rockets to six points in the paint and 29.2 percent shooting, including 4/15 (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc in the fourth frame.

The Celtics' defense put the game away, an effort that enabled Boston to operate in transition with regularity, helping generate 12 points in the paint, the most it manufactured in any period.

Furthermore, outstanding ball movement translated to 12 assists on 13 field goals, as the Celtics knocked down 56.5 percent of their shots, including 7/13 (53.8 percent) of their threes.

That two-way effort allowed Tatum, Brown, and Marcus Smart to call it an early night, enjoying the final 2:40 of Boston's 126-102 win from the bench.

While Tatum and Brown get the lion's share of the credit for their performances, carrying the Celtics' offense, a few other deserve a spotlight.

Robert Williams, who's consistently played well in his now five games back, was outstanding in Tuesday's victory. 

Defensively, his ability to operate as a free safety that can switch onto anyone dissuaded players on the Rockets from trying to drive into the paint on numerous occasions. When they did, they were often unsuccessful.

And on a night where no one else had double-digit rebounds, Williams grabbed 15, snagging ten defensively and five to extend possessions. 

There were also plenty of instances where his vertical spacing came in handy, as he was the only Boston player besides Tatum and Brown to score in double figures. Williams finished with 11 points on 4/4 shooting -- three dunks and a tip-in layup.

Malcolm Brogdon also deserves praise for his on-brand performance, consistently getting into the paint. It's at the root of his team-high eight assists.

Brogdon also scored six points, four at the basket, and grabbed six rebounds.

Lastly, speaking of on-brand, Smart's impact on this game is one not entirely captured by his traditional box score stats. Boston's floor general scored nine points, dished out six assists, regularly creating quality scoring chances for Tatum and Brown, and fulfilled his role as one of the team's defensive anchors, including swiping three steals.

Those thefts helped the hosts generate 21 points off 15 Rockets turnovers and manufacture 24 on the fast break in a game they shot a pedestrian 20/56 (35.7 percent) from beyond the arc.

Up Next

The Celtics host the Clippers on Thursday. The game tips off at 7:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

Stephen Silas Discusses His Father's Legacy and the Celtics Honoring Paul Silas, Who Helped Them Capture Two Championships

Breaking Down the Top 5 Plays from the Celtics-Bucks Christmas Showdown

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Bucks: Stellar Two-Way Performance and Tatum's Take Over Propel Boston to Christmas Victory

Brad Stevens Shares His Early Evaluation of Joe Mazzulla

Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Opens up After Team Got Booed in Loss vs. Pacers

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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