The Boston Celtics snapped their three-game losing streak with a convincing 120-109 win over the Houston Rockets at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics, scoring 38 points and dishing out nine assists. Jae Crowder posted a double-double for Boston with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Al Horford added 20 points.
James Harden had 30 points for Houston, but he only was 6 of 18 from the field. The Rockets managed to get to the free-throw line a whopping 38 times, but only converted on 27.
With the win, Boston improved to 27-18, while Houston dropped to 34-15.
Here’s how it all went down.
STARTING FIVE
PG: Isaiah Thomas
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jae Crowder
PF: Jonas Jerebko
C: Al Horford
ROCKY START
The Rockets held a narrow 27-24 lead after one quarter, but the score was not indicative of the quality of play. Both teams struggled to maintain possession, as Boston turned the ball over seven times, while Houston committed five giveaways.
There also was a level of chippiness in the first quarter, as the two teams combined for 12 fouls. Neither team posted a strong shooting display to start the game, as the Celtics made 10 of their 24 first-quarter shots, while the Rockets were even worse (8 of 22).
C’S KEEP IT CLOSE
It was a frustrating second quarter for Boston, but it only trailed Houston 58-52 heading into the break. The officials were all over the Celtics in the second frame, as there were 12 fouls called against the C’s. The consistent whistles seemed to get the best of Boston, as the team committed three technical fouls in the final four minutes of the second quarter, one of which was against head coach Brad Stevens.
Boston kept the score within striking distance due in large part to Houston’s struggles at the free-throw line. The Rockets made 26 trips to the charity stripe in the first half, but only converted on 17 of them. Thomas led all scorers at the half with 17 points, while Harden led Houston with 12.
THIRD QUARTER SWING
The third quarter was much kinder to Boston, as the Celtics overcame their first-half woes to lead the Rockets 88-86 heading into the final frame. Though it has been a struggle for the C’s most of the season, their domination on the glass helped the team rally back.
Boston held a 40-22 advantage over Houston in rebounding through the first three quarters. The Celtics were very efficient from the field in the third stanza, sinking 13 of 19 shots. Crowder let Boston’s third-quarter resurgence with 13 points in the frame.
BOSTON PULLS AWAY
After a back-and-forth contest for much of the game, Boston took over in the fourth quarter, outscoring Houston 32-23 in the final frame. Thomas lived up to his “King of the Fourth” nickname with 13 fourth-quarter points. Harden’s 11 points in the last quarter kept the Rockets in it, but they were no match for the Celtics’ offense. Boston outscored Houston 18-11 in the final five minutes to ensure the victory.
PLAY OF THE GAME
How did IT get this pass off?
UP NEXT
The Celtics return to action Friday night when they host the Orlando Magic at TD Garden. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
