"Saturday's game was always going to be a massive challenge for the Celtics for myriad reasons. First, the schedule was incredibly unfriendly. Saturday's game was the second night of a road-home back-to-back, and the Celtics put everything they had into fending off the 76ers for a hard-fought road victory on Friday. It was also their third game in four nights and the fifth game in seven nights."
"The Rockets also looked every bit like the contenders they were projected to be prior to the season. Kevin Durant was smoldering - he scored 26 points on 8-for-11 shooting and still looked unstoppable at 37. Amen Thompson is a special talent. Alperen Sengun finished one assist shy of a triple-double. The Celtics challenged Jabari Smith Jr. at the rim over and over, and he swatted them away four times. The Rockets made a staggering 65.5 percent of their 3-pointers, shooting 19-for-29 from deep, and they forced their way to the free-throw line, earning a 35-7 disparity (more on that in a minute)."
The Celtics' three-game winning streak ended with a 128-101 loss to the Rockets amid a taxing schedule that included five games in seven nights and nearly 4,000 miles of travel. Boston appeared fatigued after back-to-back efforts and a hard-fought road victory the previous night. Houston executed at an elite level: Kevin Durant scored efficiently, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun made decisive contributions, and Jabari Smith Jr. affected the rim defensively. The Rockets converted 65.5 percent from three (19-for-29) and created a 35-7 free-throw disparity, producing an emphatic win.
Read at Boston.com
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