The Celtics remained on the street, paying ex-Boston head coach Ime Udoka and the Houston Rockets a go to as a part of a back-to-back on Friday evening.
Boston gained Kristaps Porzingis again from his four-game absence however with out Jaylen Brown (shoulder pressure), the Celtics logged their sixteenth consecutive sport with out their full praise of eight rotational gamers wholesome. Going up towards Houston’s fierce protection and NBA-leading 14.2 offensive rebounds per sport, Boston had its work minimize out from the soar.
Nonetheless, that didn’t cease Jayson Tatum and Derrick White from main the way in which to a 3rd straight Celtics win and improved 26-9 document.
Listed here are three studs and three duds from Boston’s 109-86 win over Houston:
STUDS
Jayson Tatum
The management firepower carried its means from Minnesota to Houston for Tatum.
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Boston’s five-time All-Star, as soon as once more, did a little bit little bit of every part. Tatum scored 20 factors earlier than being substituted by Xavier Tillman Sr. with 4:53 remaining within the fourth quarter. The 26-year-old shot 7-of-19 from the ground, grabbed six rebounds and dished out 5 assists in 33 minutes.
Payton Pritchard
One other evening, one more reason why Pritchard is within the driver’s seat for the early Sixth Man of the 12 months race as Boston’s reserve unit chief.
Pritchard scored a bench-leading 20 factors, taking pictures 8-of-10 from the sphere and 4-of-6 from three. The undersized guard additionally grabbed 4 rebounds, tallied two assists and recorded a block, offering starter-level manufacturing for the C’s.
Derrick White
White’s red-hot taking pictures hand got here by means of as soon as once more.
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The 30-year-old knocked down 6-of-11 makes an attempt from past the arc, ending the evening with a team-high 23 factors and a game-high plus-27 ranking. White additionally tallied 4 rebounds, two assists and a block, serving to make up for Brown’s absence.
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DUDS
Sam Hauser
The Celtics ran with Hauser, once more, within the beginning lineup and it didn’t go effectively.
Hauser went scoreless by means of 19 minutes. The 27-year-old missed his solely shot try — a 3-pointer — and grabbed three rebounds and a steal. Granted, on an evening the place the Celtics wiped the ground with the Rockets, Hauser’s offensive shortcomings have been overshadowed.
Houston’s 3-point taking pictures
The Rockets entered the evening because the worst 3-point taking pictures group within the Western Convention at 32.7% and carried out prefer it.
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Houston knocked down simply 10-of-36 (27.8%) makes an attempt, which wasn’t simply fewer than Boston’s 19 on 48.7% taking pictures, it was lower than its beginning 5, which shot 14-for-31. Udoka doesn’t have the 3-point threats he did throughout his Celtics days and that’ll proceed to hurt Houston’s younger up-and-coming roster down the road.
Jeff Inexperienced
The previous Celtics wing of 4 seasons didn’t do a lot throughout 25 beginning minutes.
Inexperienced scored simply seven factors, took two pictures and two free throws and picked up 4 rebounds for Houston, logging the bottom scoring complete of any Rockets starter. The 38-year-old registered a minus-16 ranking, giving Inexperienced a decrease ranking than anybody in Boston’s beginning lineup or bench.
