Key Moment
Boston’s 17-point first-half lead over the Houston Rockets Sunday night dwindled to just three points early in the fourth quarter. However, as soon as Houston got within a single possession, the Celtics turned the heat back up.
The C’s went on a 14-6 run from the 7:58 mark of the fourth to the 3:33 mark, bringing the Rockets back down to Earth before easing past them with a 116-107 win.
Kristaps Porzingis started the run with a post-up shot from 11 feet out, and then Payton Pritchard knocked down a 3-pointer to extend Boston’s lead to 98-90.
Amen Thompson – the only Rocket to make a field goal during the run – made a dunk, but Jayson Tatum got those two points right back after a trip to the free-throw line. Tatum then made a 3-pointer and Porzingis capped off the stretch with back-to-back jumpers.
The Celtics maintained at least an eight-point lead for the rest of the frame before walking out of Toyota Center with a nine-point win.
Key Player
Kristaps Porzingis made Celtics history Sunday night down in H-Town.
The Unicorn logged 32 points, five rebounds, and five blocks while making 11-of-21 shots from the field, 6-of-11 from long range, and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
In doing so, he became the first Celtic ever to record at least five blocks and six threes in a game – a feat which he has now done twice in his career.
The only other NBA player to pull off that feat twice was another former Celtic, Raef LaFrentz.
For the second straight game, Porzingis logged 15 points in the first quarter. The difference between this game and Friday’s matchup against the Nuggets is that KP kept piling up the points after his strong start (he ended with 11 more points than he had against Denver).
On a night where neither of the Jays topped 18 points, Porzingis came through in the scoring column and helped get the Celtics back into the win column.
Box Score Nuggets
- Kristaps Porzingis led all scorers with 32 points while making 6-of-11 from deep.
- Dillon Brooks paced the Rockets with 25 points.
- Jaylen Brown logged his third career triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
- Alperen Sengun also had a triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
- The Celtics grabbed 55 rebounds, 16 of which were on the offensive end.
- Porzingis became the first Celtic ever to record five blocks and six threes in a game.
- Derrick White grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds.
- Porzingis was a logged a game-best plus/minus of plus-18.
- Boston's bench shot 66.7 percent from the field.
- There were only two lead changes and one tie during the game.
Quote of the Night
"That unit, to me, that's why you put so much stock in them. That's why you believe in them. They have to help you win games like that."
– Joe Mazzulla on the bench unit stepping up