Celtics Win Streak Snapped in Loss to Rockets

Celtics Win Streak Snapped at Five in 109-93 Loss to Rockets

The Boston Celtics watched their five-game winning streak unravel on Monday night, falling 109-93 to the Houston Rockets on the second night of a demanding back-to-back set. NBC Sports Boston reported that the visiting Celtics simply could not find an offensive spark as they struggled from the field against the Rockets.

Alperen Sengun carved up the paint to lead all scorers with 26 points, adding 10 rebounds, 7 assists, two steals, and two blocks. The dominant performance by the Houston center anchored an evening where the visiting Celtics simply could not find an offensive spark, dropping their record to 6-2 on the early season while the Rockets advanced to 7-1, as detailed by Celtics Wire.

Shooting Woes and Missing Firepower

Playing without veteran forward Paul George, who sat out the game for scheduled rest on the tail end of the travel schedule, the Celtics lacked the secondary shot-creation needed to weather a cold night. Jayson Tatum carried a heavy load, fighting through a 5-for-16 shooting night from the floor that included a 1-for-7 mark from beyond the arc to finish with 19 points—well below his 28-point season average.

Support from the rest of the rotation vanished completely. Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard endured a dismal shooting stretch, combining to hit just 4 of 25 field goal attempts for a meager 13 total points. As a team, Boston finished shooting 39 percent overall and converted just 12 of their 42 attempts from three-point range, translating to a frigid 29 percent clip from deep.

A little disappointing that with a chance of a little bit of a measuring stick game, the Celtics weren’t able to get anything from that group.

Chris Forsberg noted during postgame analysis on NBC Sports Boston, pointing specifically to the struggles of the bench and supporting guards that spoiled otherwise productive minutes from reserve big men Neemias Queta and Luka Garza.

Familiar Faces and the Fourth-Quarter Pullaway

The matchup featured notable reunions on the opposing sideline, with former Celtics coach Ime Udoka and former guard Marcus Smart now anchoring the Houston side. Smart injected energy into the contest with clutch perimeter shooting, helping the Rockets keep Boston at arm’s length.

The Celtics managed to hang around within striking distance into the second half, but the deficit ballooned to 18 points during a decisive fourth-quarter push. With Tatum resting on the bench to start the final frame, Houston capitalized on turnovers and missed perimeter shots to put the game out of reach, forcing coach Joe Mazzulla to empty the bench in the game’s final minutes.

Looking Ahead to the Milwaukee Bucks

Boston returns home to host the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, November 4, at 7:30 PM ET. The Bucks enter the matchup following a turbulent offseason that saw Giannis Antetokounmpo traded to the Miami Heat, leaving Tyler Herro to shoulder the scoring load for a Milwaukee roster seeking its footing in the early weeks of the campaign. Paul George is expected to return to the lineup for the Celtics as they look to rebound before embarking on a demanding four-game road trip through Charlotte, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Toronto.