20161205-BOSHOU

Pete Stringer

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Photos: Celtics vs. Magic – Dec. 7, 2016

Taylor Snow

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HOUSTON – The Boston Celtics were in line to snag one of their most impressive wins of the season Monday night in Houston, after experiencing a 20-point, second-half swing in their favor.

A lack of focus and a bit of bad luck down the stretch, however, snuffed Boston’s brilliant effort as it was edged, 107-106, by a red-hot Rockets team.

Boston held a 96-88 lead with less than seven minutes remaining in the game, but it committed three costly turnovers during a two-minute and 36-second span that allowed Houston to spring back and grab a 102-100 lead.

“We had some confusion on a couple of play calls which was unacceptable that late in the game,” said Jae Crowder. “Three guys on the same page and two other guys doing something differently. We didn’t know exactly what we were doing.”

“That’s on us,” he added, “because all five guys on the court need to be on the same page. We weren’t, and that turned into turnovers and points on the other end.”

Despite the late lack of focus, the C’s still had a couple of chances to win during the closing moments.

The Rockets held a three-point lead and had possession of the ball with less than 20 seconds remaining, but James Harden committed a crucial flagrant foul as he struck Marcus Smart across the face with a flailing elbow.

Smart hit both of his free throws and Boston retained possession with 16.2 seconds left. However, Isaiah Thomas missed a potential go-ahead layup with seven seconds left, and then Al Horford missed the potential winning shot as his driving layup attempt rimmed out as time expired.

“We had our opportunities,” said Horford, who finished with a team-high 21 points, a game-best nine assists, as well as six rebounds and two blocks. “I missed a couple of shots that I normally make down the stretch – a mid-range jumper and a face-up in the post.

“I felt like we had our opportunities and I didn’t execute as well as I wanted to toward the end tonight, so I take the fall for that.”

It was an unfortunate collapse after Boston’s put forth a brilliant overall effort, especially during the third quarter when it went on a 19-2 run over a four-minute and 11-second span.

“I thought we did a lot of good things for sure,” said C’s coach Brad Stevens. “It’s a tough loss and a tough pill to swallow, but I think that there was more positive than not against a team that’s hot and playing really well.”

The C’s faced a 10-point deficit at halftime, but came out of the break with a burst of intensity and outscored Houston 35-19 during the third frame.

At that point, Boston was spreading the rock as well as it has at any point this season; all five of its starters scored six-or-more points during the third quarter.

And the team’s defensive tenacity was exceptional, as it held the second-highest-scoring team in the league to less than 20 points during the same frame.

“We came out with a little more energy and a little more pep to our step,” Crowder said of Boston’s second-half surge. “We jumped on them early on both ends of the court. We just had a little more stuff about us. But we gotta play like that the whole game.”

The Celtics were certainly frustrated by their late-game miscues, but they won’t let Monday’s loss resonate with them. Instead, they’ll leave it in the rear view as they set their eyes on the final opponent of their three-game road trip.

“The good thing about the NBA is that Wednesday we have an opportunity to go into Orlando and compete against a good team over there,” said Horford. “So [this loss] is tough, but I’m sure we will be better from this.”

cs-fall-short-despite-3rd-quarter-surge-in-houston

C’s Fall Short Despite 3rd Quarter Surge in Houston

Pregame –  C's Look to Stifle Rockets' Record Shooting

HOUSTON – The Boston Celtics have established themselves as one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the league, as they rank fifth in total makes (222) and 10th in percentage (36.0) so far this season.

However, Boston’s 3-point prowess – along with that of any other team in the league – pales in comparison to what tonight’s opponent, the Houston Rockets, is accomplishing beyond the arc.

Houston has made a league-high 280 3-pointers though 20 games thus far. If the Rockets can maintain that pace, they would finish the season with 1,148 3-pointers, which would smash Golden State’s NBA-record of 1,077 makes that was set last season.

The Rockets hoist up an average of 37 3-point attempts per game and are making 37.8 percent of them, which is the fifth-best percentage in the league.

Figuring out how to stifle Houston’s efficiency from beyond the arc will be Boston’s No. 1 priority Monday night.

“They put ‘em up, so you have to guard them,” Jae Crowder said ahead of tip-off at Toyota Center. “They make you defend the 3-point line because they’re going to shoot them whether you’re there or not. You just have to disrupt their rhythm a little bit and hopefully get off to a good start.”

The Rockets’ incredible 3-point shooting is allowing them to average 111.4 points per game, which ranks second in the NBA behind the Warriors (119.1 PPG).

C’s coach Brad Stevens says Houston’s offensive prowess is a product of placing the right players into the right system.

“They’ve done a great job of putting guys in that fit with (Mike) D’Antoni’s system,” said Stevens. “They have four shooters on the court at all times. And even guys that haven’t shot as much, over 40 percent of their attempts are from 3, whether it be (Patrick) Beverly, (Sam) Dekker, or other guys that have come off the bench. They just spread you out and make it really difficult.”

Stevens also noted how the additions of guard Eric Gordon and forward Ryan Anderson have impacted Houston’s play.

Gordon ranks second to only Steph Curry in 3-point makes with 63, while Anderson is tied for eighth in the league with 54 makes.

In fact, Houston has four of the NBA’s top eight 3-point shooters, including James Harden (58 makes) and Trevor Ariza (56 makes). If you do the math you’ll find that those four have combined to make 231 3-pointers, which is more than every other team in the league has totaled, with the exceptions of Golden State (244) and Cleveland (240).

Houston is currently riding an NBA-record 19-game streak with at least 10 3-point makes. The Celtics, who allowing an average of just 9.0 3-point makes per game, will try to end that streak tonight.

pregame-post-ups-cs-look-to-stifle-rockets-record-shooting

Pregame Post-Ups: C's Look to Stifle Rockets' Record Shooting

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Photos: Celtics vs. Rockets – Dec. 5, 2016

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James Harden may very well be the best offensive player in the NBA today, and he continued to make his case on Monday night when he torched the Celtics for 37 points. And yet, he nearly gave the game away in the final seconds.

Had Al Horford’s layup at the buzzer dropped in instead of rolling off the rim, Harden’s effort would have been in vain. Instead, the Rockets escaped with a 107-106 victory in Houston.

Harden, despite his offensive tour de force, nearly cost the Rockets the game when he picked up a foolish Flagrant 1 foul for wildly wielding his elbows while the Celtics were looking to foul in the final seconds. With the Celtics trailing 107-104 and needing to foul to stop the clock and extend the game, Marcus Smart was on the business end of a flying right elbow from Harden with 16 seconds to go.

That mistake sent Smart to the line for a pair of free throws, and he proceeded to bury both of them. But the Celtics never found the basket again over the last 16 seconds.

A quick look at the statistics before Monday’s game suggested that the Celtics were going to be involved in a high-scoring shootout at the Toyota Center. The forecast was for “raining 3s with a chance of free throws.”  Harden came into the game at fourth in scoring in the league at 28.3 PPG, and the Rockets lead the NBA in 3-point field goal attempts.

Well, it sure rained – more like a deluge – when it came to 3-point field goal attempts. Both teams combined to hoist 39 of them in the first half alone. At the final whistle, they’d collaborated to shoot 70 total 3s.

Meanwhile, Harden took more free throws by himself than the Celtics did as a team (18), and he did not miss any of them.

“James Harden is an MVP-type player,” Al Horford said. “He draws a lot of fouls.”

Al Horford may have missed a potential game-winner when his layup spun off the rim at the horn, but he played a solid all-around game for the Celtics Monday. Horford posted 21 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out nine assists. Horford also came up with a pair of blocks around the rim.

Horford actually got a really good look at the basket on the final possession of the game.

“Coach drew a great play. I got the ball. He crowded me, so I put it on the floor,” Horford said.  “I felt good when I shot it. It just didn’t go down.”

Horford’s 21 led all Boston scorers, as Isaiah Thomas added 20, and Avery Bradley came up with 16 while trying to contain Harden.

Brad Stevens on the Rockets' love for the 3-point field goal.

keys-to-the-game-celtics-106-rockets-107

Keys to the Game: Celtics 106, Rockets 107

HOUSTON – If you take size out of the equation, Isaiah Thomas and James Harden have a lot in common.

They can both score at will from all over the court, whether it’s from beyond the arc or on a shifty, explosive drive to the rim.

They’re both outstanding playmakers who are always looking to get their teammates involved.

And they’re two of the top left-handed shooters in the game.

James Harden believes the latter quality gives he and Thomas an advantage, as he explained Monday morning before hosting IT and the Boston Celtics in Houston.

“Lefties are just weird,” Harden said as his Rockets left the court following their morning shootaround session at Toyota Center. “We’re weirdos. The majority of the players are right-handed, so (we) catch defenders off guard.

“They’re not used to guarding left-handers – especially left-handers that are very crafty. [Isaiah] is very crafty. He gets to the paint. He uses his body well, and he’s just always in attack mode.”

Both Harden (28.3 points per game) and Thomas (26.3 PPG) have been in attack mode throughout the first quarter of the 2016-17 season as they both rank among the league’s top 10 scorers.

Harden has been a mainstay among the NBA’s top scorers over the last five seasons. Thomas, meanwhile, is just beginning to earn the reputation of being an elite scorer, and his counterpart tonight has certainly taken notice.

“He’s just in attack mode, man. He’s so aggressive,” Harden said of Thomas. “He can obviously shoot the ball at a high level, but he’s just getting it to the paint, he’s creating opportunities for his teammates and he just looks more comfortable.

“I think any player who’s comfortable on the court is going to play a lot better, and the ball is in his hands and he’s making plays.”

Thomas has shown growth in his playmaking ability this season as he is dishing out a career-best 6.4 assists per game, while Harden’s much-improved playmaking has been one of the top storylines in the NBA this season.

After spending his first seven seasons as a shooting guard, Harden has transitioned to a point guard role under new head coach Mike D’Antoni. And the results have been astounding.

The 6-foot-5, four-time All-Star is leading the league with 11.8 assists per game, which is more than double the 4.9 APG he was averaging entering this season.

Harden’s increased role as a facilitator creates a whole new challenge for opposing teams, and figuring out how to slow him down will be one of Boston’s top priorities tonight.

“They made it pretty clear in the offseason that he was gong to be the point guard, and he’s got the ball all the time,” said C’s coach Brad Stevens as his squad exchanged practice spaces with the Rockets Monday morning on the Toyota Center court. “He had the ball a lot before, but certainly now with their spacing and his ability to make the play himself, or make the right read to the big rolling or to one of the many good shooters around, it’s a perfect setup for him and his skillset.”

When it comes to defending Harden, Stevens says it’s definitely going to take more than one guy to stop him.

Jae Crowder plans to be one of several Celtics defenders to take a crack at it.

“You just gotta switch it up on him,” said Crowder. “Not make him feel comfortable because he’s having a good balance of scoring and passing right now. So you’ve gotta mix up coverages and things like that to keep him off balance.”

Houston will face a similar challenge in stopping Thomas, who is fresh off a 37-point effort Saturday night against the 76ers.

Stevens told reporters after the game in Philadelphia that Thomas “is really good. He's really, really good. My advice to anybody is to talk whoever you work for into buying League Pass and watch him as much as you can. Because he's a fun guy to watch."

This is certainly a matchup that you’ll want to tune into tonight at 8 p.m., as Thomas and Harden face off in a battle of two of the top scorers, playmakers, and lefties in the league.

battle-of-the-lefties-it-the-beard-set-for-shootout

Battle of the Lefties: IT & The Beard Set for Shootout

HOUSTON -- With one-quarter of their first season under Mike D'Antoni complete, the Rockets are resembling the offensive juggernaut many predicted following the consummation between D'Antoni and the Rockets' bevy of perimeter shooters.

The Rockets (13-7) completed their second five-game road trip of the season with a sparkling 4-1 record late Friday, capped by victories over the Golden State Warriors and Nuggets on consecutive nights. Houston played a league-high 14 road games thus far but are still generating serious momentum on the offensive end of the court.

The Rockets, second in the league in points per game (111.3) and third in offensive rating (113.8 points per 100 possessions), averaged 121.6 points during their five-game roadie against Western Conference foes. The Rockets extended their NBA-record streak of consecutive games with at least 10 3-pointers to 19, a blitz that helped mask their defensive warts and the imbalance of playing so many road tilts.

"There'll be nights where we'll take a step back, and we can still get in our pick-and-rolls a little quicker," D'Antoni said of the offense. "We can get a lot better, but it's a pretty good spot (to be in).

"You've got James (Harden) and Ryan (Anderson) and Trevor (Ariza), all those guys. You're going to score. I can't mess it up that bad. We just try to help them as much as we can and get out of the way."

Entering Sunday, the Rockets had five players ranked among the top eight in the NBA in 3-pointers: reserve guard Eric Gordon (second with 63), Harden (fourth, 58), Ariza (seventh, 56), and Anderson (eighth, 54). With the Boston Celtics paying a visit to Toyota Center on Monday, everything is going according to plan for the Rockets.

"Twenty games in we're pretty solid," Harden said. "We've still got a long way to go in the aspect of executing better ... but I like where we're at."

The Celtics (12-8) won six of eight and are two games into a stretch of eight of 10 on the road. They squeezed past the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night behind another stellar performance from point guard Isaiah Thomas, whose 37-point effort marked his fifth 30-point game this season.

Because of Boston's backcourt depth, Thomas is averaging a relatively modest 33.3 minutes per game. He ranks ninth in the league in scoring (26.3 points) but outside the top 20 in average minutes. Given that efficiency, it's easy to question whether Thomas can handle a greater workload as the schedule reaches the winter.

"There's sometimes where you feel like those last few minutes of the third quarter are going to be really important moving forward, especially based on how your team's playing," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "You just have to make that decision are you going to take him out earlier in the third ... and put him back in a little bit earlier or play him through until the 2- or 1-minute mark of the third and then get him his rest until the 7- or 6- (minute mark of the fourth quarter).

"Ultimately there will be days that are very consistent and there will be times I'm going to go with my gut. (The players) know that and we've talked about it."

20161205‑BOSHOU

Photos: Celtics vs. Magic – Dec. 7, 2016

C’s Fall Short Despite 3rd Quarter Surge in Houston

Pregame Post-Ups: C's Look to Stifle Rockets' Record Shooting

Photos: Celtics vs. Rockets – Dec. 5, 2016

Keys to the Game: Celtics 106, Rockets 107

Battle of the Lefties: IT & The Beard Set for Shootout

12/5 Game Preview: Celtics at Rockets