POST GAME - HOUSTON - AWAY

Celtics Wrap: Rockets Edge Boston 123-120 In Another Instant Classic

NESN by Joshua Schrock on Sat, Mar 3, 2018 at 11:08PM

Another meeting between the Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets. Another instant classic. After the C’s erased a 26-point deficit to stun the Rockets earlier in the season, and the Rockets pulled off a heist of their own Saturday night at Toyota Center. Albeit a less impressive one. Boston led for the entire fourth quarter, but Trevor Ariza drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game at 115 with under two minutes to play, and then stole the ball from Kyrie Irving on the ensuing possession, taking it coast-to-coast for the go-ahead layup. The C’s final attempts to even the score went begging, as Marcus Smart’s game-tying 3-pointer clanged off the rim to give the Rockets a 123-120 win. Houston overcame a huge day from the Boston bench (67 points), and rough night from James Harden and Chris Paul (11-for-29 from the field combined) to extend its winning streak to 15 games. Despite off nights from Kyrie Irving (18 points) and Al Horford, the C’s were in prime position to win the game, but were unable to close out the NBA’s best team. Eric Gordon led all scorers with 29 points, while Harden added 26 and Ariza chipped in with 21. Marcus Morris paced the Celtics with 21 points and Greg Monroe added 18. With the loss, the Celtics fall to 44-20, while the Rockets improve to 49-13. Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE PG: Kyrie Irving SG: Jaylen Brown SF: Jayson Tatum PF: Al Horford C: Aron Baynes

LIFT OFF Both teams were hot in the first quarter. The Celtics shot 52.6 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from 3-point land to take a 32-30 lead after the first period. Houston also was hot, as the Rockets shot 50 percent from the field but just 33.3 percent from long range. The Rockets led by eight with just over two minutes to play, but Boston’s bench closed the quarter on a 12-2 run, buoyed by Monroe and Terry Rozier. James Harden led all scorers with eight points, while Brown paced the C’s with seven.

NO SEPARATION The two teams traded blows throughout the second quarter. Boston opened the stanza with a 10-3 run over the opening 2:27, but Houston responded with a 17-8 run over the next 5:10. The C’s closed the frame on a 14-8 run over the final 4:22 to take a 64-58 lead into the locker rooms. Boston shot 53.5 percent from the floor and 61.5 percent from 3-point range, while the Rockets hit on just 35 percent of their long-distance attempts. Harden led all players with 16 points. Rozier paced the C’s with 12 points, while Tatum and Morris each added 10.

TRADING BLOWS The C’s opened up an eight-point lead early in the third quarter, led by Irving, Tatum and Baynes. Houston would draw even at 74 with 4:22 remaining in the period after a 3-point barrage from Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon. Both benches traded shots for the remaining four minutes of the third quarter, with neither team gaining more than a three-point edge. A Monroe layup gave the C’s an 89-86 lead entering the fourth quarter. Harden paced everyone with 21 points, while Monroe led Boston with 14 points after three.

ITS A SHOOTOUT Morris and Gordon went back-and-forth in the first half of the fourth, as Morris poured in 11 points in the first seven minutes. Gordon answered with 12 over that span to keep the C’s lead at 108-15. Boston’s lead remained at three until a Harden fastbreak layup cut the edge to 113-112 with 2:10 to play. After a Horford hook shot pushed it back to three, Ariza drilled a 3-pointer to tie the game. On the ensuing possession, Ariza stole the ball from Irving and went coast-to-coast to give Houston its first lead of the period. After a series of free throws, the C’s had one final chance to tie the game. Morris hit Smart with a full-court pass, but the last-second attempt went begging, sealing Houston’s win.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME The birthday boy with the shake-and-bake.

UP NEXT The Celtics will hit the floor next Monday when they visit the Chicago Bulls. Tip-off from United Center is scheduled for 8 p.m.ET.

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FEW COMMENTS.

BLAME THIS LOSS ON:

STEVENS FOR NOT STARTING MONROE IN STEAD OF BAYLES IN THE 3RD AND
PULLING MONROE WITH 5 TO GO IN THE 4TH - WHO OWNED THE PAINT AGAINST HOUSTON AND CREATED OUTSIDE SPACE FOR 3 PTERS AND GREAT GIVE AND GO PASSING.

STEVENS WHO HAD NO ANSWER FOR GORDON WHO WAS PULLING SHXT OUT OF ASS WITH 3 PT HEAVES.

STEVENS FOR NOT PLAYING THEIS

OH YES STAND AROUND HERO BALL INSTEAD OF PLAYER AND BALL MOVEMENT AND CUTS TO THE BASKET.............AS I ALWAYS SAY HERO BALL = LOSING BALL!  I THINK THE CELT'S WILL NEVER WISE - UP.........OR IS IT THE COACH!

AND ROUNDING OUT..............HORFORD WHO HAS NO INSIDE GAME AND SUCKS AS A CENTER!

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I agree, I missed Theis all game long and Monroe was a beast. Either one playing late could have made a difference.

But this was a great game played by two of the best teams in the NBA and as equal a contest as one could want.

I've never been able to understand why a teams goes away from playing a certain style that puts them ahead. Iso ball has its place. There are times when I want Morris to go one on one. But not as often as happens. It's a very frustrating trend.

Now that the Celtics have lost is it OK to criticize Marcus Smart again? Speaking of Smart that was a helluvaheave at the end of the game. That is the kind of shot Marcus makes more than most others in the league. He also had a couple of hustle layups.

There are no moral victories this time of year. A loss is a loss. But we are as good as they are and I have no fear of meeting them in the finals.

I want to see more of Monroe. Smart and Rozier need to start looking for him. One of the problems with Brad's style and Danny's roster selections is that they don't allow for a guy like Monroe who can dominate. Now that they have him they need to adjust and make him a central part off the bench. Monroe and Morris and Smart and Rozier and there is scoring off the bench no matter who rounds out that five.

This was a very encouraging loss. They played the right way for long stretches of the game.

dadgummit

Interesting hard fought game, Harden, CP3, Kyrie and Al all off somewhat, we had it and blew it last 3 minutes. We had a 6 point lead and Kyrie blows a wide open lay up, Gorden hits a 3, instead of 8 point game, it’s a 3 point game. Next possession Smart bricks wide open 12 ft jumper leading to a tie game. I know Smart adds a lot, but I’ll take Jaylen over him everytime at the end of game, speaking of the 2 J’s, both were on and didn’t get no where near the touches they should have got. Greg Monroe can really help us and deserved to be out there in crunch time, hated that crunch time line up with Al and Morris, nether can rebound, with Smart, Kyrie and Rozier.

I would have went with Monroe, Al, Jaylen, Rozier and Kyrie down the stretch. The 2 players that carried the Rockets were Capella and Gorden, no one could keep Capella off the boards and wide open look after wide open look for Gorden, take away one Brad, don’t let them both go off.

Horford didn`t do much . Kyrie was off.Whether or not you like his style of play, Morris was terrific tonight. I`m guessing Theis is still nursing his injury, or Stevens didn`t want to throw him in after a couple of games off when Baynes , Monroe and Morris were playing well. Houston got a lot of long rebounds of their own shots and the techs, none of which seemed egregious cost us the game .All in all I was pleased with the quality of play, if not the result. It was nice to see Tatum shooting so well, and being aggressive Slightly off topic, but I expect Ainge to find a way to keep both Rozier and Smart. The  Cs system is perfect for Smart , much like it was for Jay Crowder. I could be wrong, but I don`t anticipate a huge bidding war for his services.

Cow, I agree with you 100%

"I would have went with Monroe, Al, Jaylen, Rozier and Kyrie down the stretch."

Monroe can be a terrific asset for us, as can be Jaylen, but they both need to be on the floor to contribute. Brad is a fine coach, but sometimes he sucks with his lineup selections. Moreover, he simply does not instruct his team to give Jaylen enough touches. Jaylen is the 2nd highest scorer on this team and also is someone who plays excellent D. Yet his O and D are not rewarded. NBA.com has an analytics section which now identifies touches per game. Jaylen is 8th on the Celtics in touches per game. Eighth! That's ridiculous. Moreover he is first on the Celtics in scoring efficiency per touch. Come on Brad!

Monroe really impressed me. Smart and Rozier continue to impress. Morris surprised the heck out of me. Tatum made a great inbound pass at the end. We lost the game with a few errant plays in the final 3 minutes, but the refs helped the Rockets big time with some ridiculous calls. The one where Harden pushed into Jaylen but still got a call was absurd. The three T's on the Celtics were unnecessary and affected the game. I do think the Rockets were bailed out by the refs, but we still should have played 1% better to win. Ours is a superb team and getting better, NBA, watch out! Even when Kyrie has an off night.

worcester wrote:Cow, I agree with you 100%

"I would have went with Monroe, Al, Jaylen, Rozier and Kyrie down the stretch."

Monroe can be a terrific asset for us, as can be Jaylen, but they both need to be on the floor to contribute. Brad is a fine coach, but sometimes he sucks with his lineup selections. Moreover, he simply does not instruct his team to give Jaylen enough touches. Jaylen is the 2nd highest scorer on this team and also is someone who plays excellent D. Yet his O and D are not rewarded. NBA.com has an analytics section which now identifies touches per game. Jaylen is 8th on the Celtics in touches per game. Eighth! That's ridiculous. Moreover he is first on the Celtics in scoring efficiency per touch. Come on Brad!

Monroe really impressed me. Smart and Rozier continue to impress. Morris surprised the heck out of me. Tatum made a great inbound pass at the end. We lost the game with a few errant plays in the final 3 minutes, but the refs helped the Rockets big time with some ridiculous calls. The one where Harden pushed into Jaylen but still got  a call was absurd. The three T's on the Celtics were unnecessary and affected the game. I do think the
Rockets were bailed out by the refs, but we still should have played 1% better to win. Ours is a superb team and getting better, NBA, watch out! Even when Kyrie has an off night.

Thanks for those analytics worse, you confirmed on Jaylen what my eyes have been seeing. It made me sick all the calls Harden was getting, then Kyrie gets hammered in the lane and no call, this shit the refs keeps on getting worse, no wonder the majority of players is always complaining. On Monroe, his post game can/is such an asset and while not a great defender, he had some good help defense. My beef with Morris is his defense sucks, for a guy with a defensive reputation he looks slow and can’t jump or challenge shots near like the way young Jaylen does. Really excited to see how this team hell’s going into playoffs, Monroe is gonna be a big asset, Smart has to figure out how to not shoot us out of the game, he should be driving, attacking the basket, please no more 3’s when your off most of the time!!! When the 2 J’s are on get them the ball....let’s milk the cow, feed the hot hand.

HARDEN IS IN THE MOLD OF QUEEN JAMES.............BOTH THINK THEY CALL THE GAME AS REF'S...........BOTH GET AWAY WITH TICKY TAC FOULS BEING CALLED ON DEFENDERS............

BOTH ARE ASS HOLES


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But Harden defers to his coach which LeBron never does.

Some refereeing mistakes, but also some Celtic mistakes so let's not kill the refs here like every other team does when we beat them by one or by twenty.

Theis may have made some positive contributions, but he has been injured and the Cs do bring back injured players pretty slowly all the time. Last night was not a playoff game so let him rest properly.

The four guys coming off the bench continued to play very well as well with Monroe showing his long time, very reliable inside game offense.

The Celtics played hard and tough basketball on the TV in my house from beginning to end. No slump times or let downs like they show in many other games. A game that could have been won, and Houston knows it.

A couple of more less careless possessions (soft turnovers), a little more team offense (pass and move), a couple of more rebounds, etc, etc, but this game could have been won. Could be a great finals against the Rockets if every game is as hard and evenly played as last night.

Without having read any post games comments, this is my take on the game.

The Celtics once again proved that they can play with Houston.  This means that Boston can play with both GSW and the Rockets.

The difference in this game was 1-2 possessions

The missing piece?  Is Theis, if he played we win.  The bench has ballers.

Many observations I'm reading are the same ones that I have.

Jaylen has already won a game this year.  You cannot sit him down the stretch.  Brad' s choices are about Rozier and Smart.

It should be clear that Rozier is a superior offensive player over Smart.  And Jaylen is our 2nd leading scorer.  Jaylen does play D so you have to sit Smart.

I love Kyrie but sometimes he makes shots more difficult than needed.

The game slowed down like most games.  That is when a player like Monroe should be used.  

Finally, let me again mention Theis.  We missed his energy and athleticism.  

Overall, the team looks pretty damn good.

Marcus Morris was 66th of 486 players in defensive efficiency rating in 2016-17 and held LBJ to 20.5 points per 100 possessions, best of any defender in the league. Maybe he has gotten a lot worse this year. I haven't seen the stats.I'm not arguing who should be in at the end of games . Often their is a defense-offense rotation. I'm just not seeing the crappy defense that some posters are complaining about. He's not a shot blocker and he's nit as athletic as Brown, who was in foul trouble most of the game, but he gets down in a stance, moves his feet and challenges shots. Stevens doesn't do everything right, but some of the criticism of him is over the top. Theis was coming off an injury . Brown was in foul trouble. Monroe hasn't played much of the year, so I imagine his endurance may not be at the top of the scale. IMO, we lost because Horford and Irving were off their games (killer turnover by Kyrie in final minutes) and because of 4 pretty b.s. technical foul points the refs gave Houston. Not sure what Stevens could have done to magically pull the game winning rabbit out of his hat.

dboss wrote:Many observations I'm reading are the same ones that I have.

Jaylen has already won a game this year.  You cannot sit him down the stretch.  Brad' s choices are about Rozier and Smart.

It should be clear that Rozier is a superior offensive player over Smart.  And Jaylen is our 2nd leading scorer.  Jaylen does play D so you have to sit Smart.

I love Kyrie but sometimes he makes shots more difficult than needed.

The game slowed down like most games.  That is when a player like Monroe should be used.  

Finally, let me again mention Theis.  We missed his energy and athleticism.  

Overall, they team looks pretty damn good.

Right and it’s not like Rozier doesn’t defend, he defends and is on an offensive roll right now that we wish Smart could come close to. One good thing BS did last night was unleash Monroe, a second team of Monroe, Theis, Morris, Smart and Rozier might be the best bench in the league and could make us a real force come playoff time. We still have time to integrate Monroe’s old school post up game with the rest of the team....as a few have said this signing could be the key piece to put us over the top, I think he makes both units better offensively and what I also love is he is a more than willing passer. We can play with GS and Houston, we’re younger and deeper, they don’t have a monster 5 that can abuse us.

jrleftfoot wrote:Marcus Morris was 66th of 486 players in defensive efficiency rating in 2016-17 and held LBJ to 20.5 points per 100 possessions, best of any defender in the league. Maybe he has gotten a lot worse this year. I haven't seen the stats.I'm not arguing  who should be in at the end of games . Often their is a defense-offense  rotation. I'm just not seeing the crappy defense that some posters are complaining about. He's not a shot blocker and he's nit as athletic as Brown, who was in foul trouble most of the game, but he gets down in a stance, moves his feet and challenges shots. Stevens doesn't do everything right, but some of the criticism of him is over the top. Theis was coming off an injury . Brown  was in foul trouble. Monroe hasn't played much of the year, so I imagine his endurance may not be at the top of the scale. IMO, we lost because Horford and Irving were off their games (killer turnover by Kyrie in final minutes)  and because of 4 pretty b.s. technical foul points the refs gave Houston. Not sure what Stevens could have done to magically pull the game winning rabbit out of his hat.

I agree if Kyrie and Al are on their games, this would have been an easy victory.

On Morris, I noticed on the perimeter he’s pretty slow, doesn’t get there fast enough to jump on the shooting hand and bother 3’s like Jaylen, Tatum, Smart, Rozier or Theis, there’s a reason in this era of 3 ball, we have
the #1 ranked D for a reason. He can play decent post D, but against a lot of 4’s he doesn’t have the length to bother them, he’s a tweener, his help defense and shot blocking are weak for a 4 on a contending team.

Morris is not that special. He is not starter material. He is a proven NBA player, however, and he has found a niche with the C's scoring off the bench. He is basically a small forward equivalent of Jordan Crawford and Marcus Thornton. They think they are Kobe's and LeBron's.

Morris is just another guy. Brandon Bass, Humphries, Olynyk and Jerebko were just as good if not better to play a role within a competitive roster.

The refs are garbage. It can't be incompetence at this point. The league is still utilizing David Stern's television/pro wrestling formula.

I'm not sure the C's can win it all because of officiating. It's tough enough to improve and grow as a team.

As for Monroe, it is a very interesting situation. Brad's system and Monroe's style seemingly clash. Stevens needs to think outside the box more. Marcus Smart was tossing all those brick threes for most of the year. There was no coaching on that. I bet Evan Turner unilaterally decided to stop shooting them because he realized he was hurting the team.

Nonetheless, I feel that Smart has turned a corner for shooting and am not worried about him anymore.

I'm somewhat curious if there is room for both Baynes and Monroe next year. One or the other should be happy with the mid level or whatever player salary exemption. I'm just thinking Stiemsma was lost over money, not that he was very good. So it's not just about Smart for future decisions.

I think the Celtics still look good and are on track. I wish I could say the same for the NBA and its refs.

Couple of quick observations.

1) The Refs were shit last night. Period. A big factor in the final outcome.

I disagree with Clyde that complaining about the refs on rare occasions makes us like other teams fans who cry every night. Ed Malloy is an absolute shit head and Tony Brown - acts like he is beyond reproach and should not stoop to address your questions.

If Kyrie Irving politely asks you for an explanation and you ignore him, you are a DICK. Rockets shot 49 3PA to Boston's 29, so they were not driving to the hoop - yet some how they get 9 more FTs. Refs were absolutely a factor.

2) As great at Greg Monroe plays on the offensive end, he is a poor poor defender. Aron Baynes took a pay cut to come here and is one of the best defenders in the NBA. Against certain centers, like Dwight Howard, Gortat, Rudy Gobert, Stephen Adams - Baynes is invaluable.

3) Joe Johnson is an absolute waste of minutes and shots, he wont smell the court in the playoffs and DA was 100% correct to pass on him

A bit disappointed to see so many out here pointing fingers and questioning valuable players like Al Horford and Marcus Morris.

You will not see another game this season like that from Kyrie and Al. Even an average performance from one of them, and this is a Celtics victory.

They split with the Warriors. Split with the Rockets. Split with the Spurs. Are tied so far 1-1 with the Raptors, 1-1 with the Wizards. They are right where they need to be.

mrkleen09 wrote:Couple of quick observations.

1) The Refs were shit last night.  Period.  A big factor in the final outcome.  

I disagree with Clyde that complaining about the refs on rare occasions makes us like other teams fans who cry every night.  Ed Malloy is an absolute shit head and Tony Brown - acts like he is beyond reproach and should not stoop to address your questions.  

If Kyrie Irving politely asks you for an explanation and you ignore him, you are a DICK.  Rockets shot 49 3PA to Boston's 29, so they were not driving to the hoop - yet some how they get 9 more FTs.  Refs were absolutely a factor.

2)  As great at Greg Monroe plays on the offensive end, he is a poor poor defender.  Aron Baynes took a pay cut to come here and is one of the best defenders in the NBA.  Against certain centers, like Dwight Howard, Gortat, Rudy Gobert, Stephen Adams - Baynes is invaluable.  

3) Joe Johnson is an absolute waste of minutes and shots, he wont smell the court in the playoffs and DA was 100% correct to pass on him

A bit disappointed to see so many out here pointing fingers and questioning valuable players like Al Horford and Marcus Morris.

You will not see another game this season like that from Kyrie and Al.  Even an average performance from one of them, and this is a Celtics victory.

They split with the Warriors.  Split with the Rockets.  Split with the Spurs.  Are tied so far 1-1 with the Raptors, 1-1 with the Wizards.  They are right where they need to be.

+1. It was high quality basketball  most of the night. NBA officiating is shit, period, which is why I don`t usually complain , but the 4 techs cost the game.

watch the film, the tech on Morris was the correct call. He follwed the player OFF the court, flapping his jaws the whole time behind him.

that will get you teeded up 9 out of 10 times.

I can't remember the others ones, though anytime Brad gets a T I stand and cheer.

Putting aside technical fouls and all that..................can please someone explain to me the difference between Hero ISO Ball where you are going through all body gyrations and ending up taking off balance shots......most of the time missing

OR

Working the ball inside ........perhaps an Alley Oop .......back door cut or just plan dunk and maybe 1.

Oh I know................working the ball inside gives you a higher percentage shot.......options to kick out the ball for a clearer uncontested shot and a higher probability of scoring.  KEEP IN MIND a missed shot and a score by the other team is a 4 point swing in a blink of the eye.

Until the Celtics get away from this Hero Ball or just heaving 3 pters at will because they feel lucky there are doomed to fail.

HERO BALL = LOSING BALL

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JUST A PS

This hero ball basketball really came into being by Queen James because the rest of his team (Cleveland) sucked.............and because James was a ball hog to begin with.  Then the COPY CATS started emulating James..........which turned into the current way NBA basketball is played........................It plain sucks.............If I want to see showman circus basketball 1 on 1 I'll go see the Harlem Globetrotters.................at least then I'll know its just an act!

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Not all isolation basketball is hero ball, so the idea that only working the ball into the paint and back out is the only definition of good offense is a simplification of the situation.

Isolation - by its definition is a smart way to put a bad defensive player on an 'island' or take advantage of a non athletic big vs a guard with great handle. Anytime you can get Kyrie on Clint Capella or Nene, one on one - is advantage Celtics. So if you can isolate that matchup, it is 100% good offense.

No matter how much up and down and fast breaking is happening during the course of 90% of any NBA game - in the end, in a close game, it is ALWAYS going to come down to isolation of some sort.

I do agree with Rich that the more that is the case and the further you get away from moving the ball, cutting, and keeping the defensive on its toes - the easier it is to defend and the Celtics should do their best to play with the movement and purpose that serves them best. But if you dont like isolation, you dont like the modern NBA. As it is what it is.

We complain about the refs as much as any other fans in the league. That doesn't make us bad, just observant. The refs suck, are unprofessional, and incompetent. Well deserving of all the anger directed them by knowing fans all over the league. Fans have always complained about the refs and always will. There are both good and bad reasons for this truth.

The tech on Morris was deserved. He followed the player off the court, taunting him.

What did mild mannered Brad say? Exactly what was needed with no fanfare. He spoke and got T'd up. Players and coaches have no recourse when the calls are so bad. There only protest is to get T'd up. Brad is a lot more demonstrative this season. Believe me, he wanted that T.

Are the refs really this bad? Take another look at that foul on Jaylen. Take away those T's and we still lose by one.

It's always a combination of things not just one but we are hard wired to look for that one glaring mitsake. Lots of things contributed to the loss. Smart missed something like five or six shots in a row when he came back into the game in the 4th but it wasn't his fault. Teams win and teams lose games. It really is just that simple. We could look for scapegoats and find them everywhere we look. Anyone who missed a 3 (the margin of victory) cost us the game. Anyone who fouled a 3 point shooter cost us the game. Brad not coaching the way some of us think he should cost us the game.

Look and you will find the truth in what I say. Every single player has skills and brings assets to this team. Even the scrubbiest scrub would demolish every one of us in a game of one on one. Even so, every one of those professional players make mistakes that even our scrubbiest scrub will notice and point out.

Brad's best trait as a coach is that he holds short memory. It's about what you are doing right now, on this possession, that impresses him the most. He is not a perfect coach. He is not the best coach in the league, and won't be until Pop retires. But he may be the second best coach. He still has things to learn. He still has things he can improve on. And he still holds thoughts that he should reconsider.

Warts and all I love this team.