Rockets Beat Celtics, 114-112

 

So there I was, all excited that my first post on this new platform would be about a Boston Celtics victory, playing as they were on their own Garden court. But the Celtics, as they're increasingly prone to do these days, lost the game, this time by two points to the visiting Houston Rockets.

I've been away from hoops for a few weeks, but the Celtics apparently ended 2024 on a disappointing 5-5 run. They entered this game 8-5 on the year - better than .500, sure, but not what we expect from the reigning NBA champions. And now it's 8-6 for 2025 so far and 32-15 (which isn't bad) on the season.

It was a pretty close game throughout. Houston led by 4 points after the first quarter, and by two at the half. Boston surged in the third, and led by 12 points midway through the fourth. But then the Rockets went on a 13-0 run and took a one-point lead. The two teams traded leads down the stretch and Jayson Tatum tied it up at 112 with five seconds left to play with a driving shot to the hoop assisted by Porzingis. But then in the last second of play, Houston's Amen Thompson (cool name) laid a 12-foot floater into the net and the Rockets won the game.  Afterwards, Thompson told the press, "I feel like Kobe."

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 28 points. Tatum went scoreless in the first half but woke up in the second and made 19 points. Luke Kornet made 18 points, Porzingis 17, and Pritchard 15. Derrick White's out with an injury and Mazzulla sat Al Horford for some reason.

The Celtics are off to Chicago and will play the Bulls next on Wednesday night.