They say styles make fights, and the two games between the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets have been nothing short of box office material.
And while an NBA Finals matchup might not be likely, with the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers lurking, it would be nothing short of must-see TV.
The Celtics took Round 1 after overcoming a 26-point deficit thanks to a couple late miscues from James Harden, but the Rockets delivered some payback Saturday night at Toyota Center.
The game was a seesaw affair, with neither team leading by more than eight at any point in the contest.
Boston held the upper hand for most of the second half, leading for the entire fourth quarter until Trevor Ariza tied the game with a long 3-pointer and then picked Kyrie Irving’s pocket and went coast-to-coast for the go-ahead score with under two minutes to play.
The Rockets held on for a 123-120 victory, as Marcus Smart’s last-second, game-tying attempt went begging off the side of the rim.
The two meetings between these two teams have been decided by a total of four points. Boston’s gritty team defense has been able to make James Harden and Chris Paul work for their points. The Rockets stars were a combined 11-for-29 from the field Saturday, with Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Irving and Smart wearing down the dynamic duo.
Paul didn’t play in the first matchup but went just 5-for-11 for 15 points Saturday, going 1-for-4 from 3-point land. While Harden is averaging 30 points per game versus Boston this season, he is shooting just 13-for-45 from the field (28.8 percent), but has gone to the free throw line 28 times.
Boston’s bench was brilliant in the loss Saturday, scoring 67 points, including a team-high 21 from Marcus Morris and 18 from Greg Monroe. The C’s second unit has struggled to carry it’s weight at times this season, but Morris, Monroe and Rozier give Boston three quality threats off the pine to contend with the number of high-powered offensive weapons the Rockets have at their disposal.
We probably won’t get a championship battle between the NBA’s top defensive unit and one of it’s most lethal offensive clubs, and that’s too bad because it wouldn’t disappoint.
Here are more notes from Celtics-Rockets:Â
— After averaging just 5.7 points per game in his first six outing for the C’s, Monroe is averaging 16 points on 12-of-18 shooting in his last two contests.
— Morris made a season-high five 3-pointers Saturday and recorded his third 20-point game of the season.
— Rozier became the first bench player in C’s history to hit multiple 3-point shots in seven consecutive games.
