The Celtics move on to the second game of their 4 game Western trip as they visit Houston to take on the Rockets. This is the first of 2 games against the Rockets this season. They will face off for a second time on January 27 in Boston. The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season. The Celtics are 97-56 overall all time against the Rockets and they are 41-34 all time in games played in Houston.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 4.5 games behind first place Cleveland, who have won 8 games in a row. They are just 1 game ahead of the New York Knicks, who have won 9 straight games. The Celtics are 12-3 on the road and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 3-2 against Western Conference opponents and they have won their last 2 games.
The Rockets are 3rd in the West, 6 games behind first place Oklahoma City, who have won 12 straight games. They are 1 game behind 2nd place Memphis and they are 1.5 games ahead of the 4th place Dallas Mavericks. They are 11-5 at home and 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 8-3 against Eastern Conference opponents and, after 2 straight losses, won their last game.
After a big off season last year where the Rockets signed Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and several other veterans, they had a relatively quiet off season this year. They signed Aaron Holiday as a free agent. They exercised the team option on Jeff Green and Jae’Sean Tate. They signed Reed Sheppard, who was the #3 pick in the 2024 draft. They lost Reggie Bullock and Boban Marjanovic. Their starting lineup has been the same for the second year in a row.
The Celtics just completed a 4 game home stand where they beat the Pacers and Raptors and lost to the Pacers and 76ers. This is the second game of a 4 game Western road trip that started with a win in Minnesota on Thursday, and will continue through Oklahoma City and Denver. They will return home to face 2 more Western Conference teams, Sacramento and New Orleans. They then head to Toronto to face the Raptors again for the 3rd time..
This is the 3rd game of a 5 game home stand for the Rockets. They lost the first two games to Minnesota and Miami and then beat Dallas in the game before this one. They will close out the home stand against the Lakers. They then head out on a 3 game road trip through Washington, Memphis, and Atlanta before a home game against Memphis. Then, they play at Denver, Sacramento and Portland.
Jaylen Brown missed Thursday’s game with a shoulder injury he sustained in the Raptors game. He is listed as out for this game and I am guessing that Sam Hauser will replace him in the starting lineup. Kristaps Porzingis missed his 4th straight game with a sprained ankle on Thursday. Porzingis is listed as available for this game and should start in this game. Al Horford is out for rest, as expected.
For the Rockets, Tari Eason is doubtful with a leg injury. Jock Landale is questionable with a knee injury. Jabari Smith, Jr. was a late addition to the injury list for the Rockets. He broke his left hand today and will be evaluated in 4-6 weeks. Tari Eason is next on their depth chart at power forward. Since he is doubtful, I am guessing that Cam Whitmore will get the start in Smith’s place.
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Probable Celtics Starters
Celtics Reserves
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Injuries/Out
Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) available
Jaylen Brown (shoulder) out
Al Horford (rest) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Rockets Starters
Rockets Reserves
Steven Adams
Jeff Green
Aaron Holiday
Reed Sheppard
Jae’Sean Tate
2-Way Players
N’Faly Dante
Jack McVeigh
Nate Williams
Injuries/Out
Tari Eason (leg) doubtful
Amen Thompson (out) suspension
Jock Landale (knee) questionable
Jabari Smith, Jr (hand) out
Head Coach
Ime Udoka
Key Matchups
Derrick White vs Jalen Green
Green is averaging 19.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1 steal per game. He is shooting 40.7% from the field and 32% from the field. Green is the Rockets’ leading scorer and the Celtics need to be aware that he can put up a lot of points if not defended well.
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Kristaps Porzingis
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
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Alperen Sengun
Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images
Kristaps Porzingis vs Alperen Sengun
Sengun is averaging 18.9 points, 10.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 49.1% from the field and 22.9% from beyond the arc. Sengun is not a big threat from the perimeter, but he can hit 3’s if left open. The Celtics need to box out as he is a good rebounder.
Honorable Mention
Jrue Holiday vs Fred VanVleet
VanVleet is averaging 15.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 37.9% from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc. VanVleet is very capable of putting up a lot of points when he plays well. The Celtics need to keep him from getting comfortable and from getting into the offense early in the clock.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always a key to winning. Players struggle on offense in some games, but they can always play defense. The Rockets are averaging 113 points per game (12th). The Celtics are averaging 119.6 points per game (4th). The Rockets are 2nd with a defensive rating of 105.8 while the Celtics are 7th with a defensive rating of 109.7. The Celtics have to stick to their defensive identity in this one because the Rockets play tough defense and the Celtics can’t depend on a shoot out to win.
Rebound – In order to score, the Celtics need the ball and to get the ball, they will need to crash the boards as a team. The Celtics average 45.5 rebounds per game (6th) while the Rockets average 49.7 rebounds per game (1st). Much of rebounding is effort and when the Celtics put out extra effort on the boards, it usually carries over into the rest of their game. The Rockets are 3rd in the league with 17.1 second chance points per game. The Rockets are a very good rebounding team and so the Celtics must come into the game determined to put out extra effort and to hustle for every rebound to limit 2nd chance points for the Rockets.
Be Aggressive and Stay Focused – The Celtics have to be aggressive in taking the ball to the basket and not settling for 3 pointers on every possession, especially if the 3s aren’t falling. They also have to be aggressive in hustling for rebounds and for loose balls. And they have to be aggressive on defense. They have to play harder than the Rockets and play like the team that wants this game more. They also need to carry that aggressiveness through all 4 quarters with no let up. They also need to stay focused on taking good shots and making them. They have to keep their focus on playing team ball.
Be Consistent – The Celtics have been up and down now for most of the month of December. One game they lose to a team that they clearly should have beat. The next game they win in a blowout over a contender. One game they give up a big lead and lose down the stretch. The next game they come from behind to get a win. The Celtics need to get back to giving consistent effort every game and every quarter. No let up and no easy easy shots for their opponent.
X-Factors
Back to Back Road Game – The Celtics are on the road where they have an 11-3 record. The Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games while the Rockets are playing in the third game of a 5 game home stand. The Celtics had to travel from Minnesota after their Thursday night game, stay in a hotel, play in front of a hostile crowd and on an unfamiliar court while the Rockets should get a boost from being on their home court.
Coaching – The Rockets are led by former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who left Boston under less than desirable circumstances. He was suspended for violating team rules and assistant coach Joe Mazzulla was made interim coach. Eventually, Udoka was officially released and Mazzulla was made head coach. I am sure that Udoka would love nothing more than to beat the team that let him go after he led that team to the Finals. He will also have his team motivated to avenge 2 losses to the Celtics the previous year.
Officiating – The officiating is always an x-factor. Some referees call the game tight and others let them play. Some favor the home team and others call it evenly. Recently the officiating has been getting some scrutiny for being visibly bad. The Celtics have to play through whatever calls go against them and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus on the game.
