The Boston Celtics (6-4) defeated the Houston Rockets (4-7) Monday 111-95 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
The early-season struggles continue for the Rockets, while the Celtics continue to impress. Boston ended up winning in dominating fashion, as despite finishing the first half in a draw, a dominating third quarter that the C’s won 32-13 ended the game before the final period could even start.
Isaiah Thomas continues to thrive in his role as the starting point guard, as he finished with 23 points and six assists in just 24 minutes. He has now recorded 20-plus points and six-plus assists in three straight games – all of which were won by Boston. Coming off the bench, Avery Bradley put in an efficient outing of his own, scoring 21 points in just 20 minutes. Jae Crowder was the only other Celtic to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 28 minutes.
On the contrary, the Rockets struggles were personified by the poor play of their two superstars. James Harden could not get anything going on offense, as he shot just 4-of-10 from the field and finished with 16 points and three assists in 30 minutes. Dwight Howard struggled even more, managing to hit just 2-of-4 shots and finishing with five points in 30 minutes. He did, however, finish with a game-high 12 rebounds.
The lone bright spots from Houston came from Trevor Ariza, who finished with a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds, and Terrence Jones, who scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Up next, the Celtics will head home Wednesday to take on the Mavericks, while the Rockets stay at home Wednesday and play the Trail Blazers.
